Most-used 2026 FIFA World Cup stadium in Arlington given makeover to fix glaring issue before England opener against Croatia

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Arlington's AT&T Stadium, home to the Dallas Cowboys, has been given an all-important makeover before England's 2026 FIFA World Cup opener against Croatia.

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The stadium has already hosted one match so far this tournament, seeing the Netherlands being held to a 2-2 draw against Japan.

And an eagle-eyed reporter spotted a key change in the 70,649-capacity arena from its usual guise as an NFL football stadium.

Unlike most grounds in the USA, the AT&T features expansive glass panes at either end of the pitch, bathing supporters behind each goal in brilliant sunlight at certain times of the day.

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But some athletes have not found the sunlight so brilliant in the late afternoon, when the glare from the windows can be off-putting for those on the field.

Taylor Swift's partner Travis Kelce, for example, complained that the glare was "f****** ridiculous", making the sun seem "bigger and brighter than it's ever f****** been."

Several NFL stars have joined Kelce in the protests, all of which have fallen on deaf ears, with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones refusing to budge on adapting the space.

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"Of all the things that we need to improve, that is way down the list of improvement. That stadium was built to feel like you're outdoors," said Jones on 105.3 The Fan.

"It's the largest air-conditioned space in the world. My biggest thought when we were building it was... make it look like it was outdoors.

"Every venue has certain things that at certain ways and times can create an advantage. That really goes under the category of home field advantage It should be an advantage to the home team.

"It has been advantage for us to know where the sun is. I don't want to change that."

But with the world's biggest sporting competition arriving in America, adaptations have been made to remedy the glaring issue.

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Nick Harris, specialist reporter on the Dallas Cowboys, noted that a window tint was used for the Netherlands' opener against Japan.

"Not quite curtains being used at AT&T Stadium for today’s World Cup match, but a tint is over the big doors on each side of the stadium. No glare or sunlight coming through onto the pitch as a result," wrote Harris on X.

The tint looks set to stay for England's encounter with Croatia and the seven subsequent matches held there.

And should Thomas Tuchel's side finish second in their group, they could play in Arlington twice more - at the last 16 and semi-final stages.

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