As tradition dictates, Thanksgiving Day gives pride of place to the NFL each year in the United States, and the other tradition is that the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions are scheduled for this holiday Thursday. It was the opportunity, for all US football followers, to once again notice the big flaw in AT&T Stadium.
The Cowboys stadium is what we call a dome, a closed stadium, which theoretically spares it from climatic hazards. But while most NFL arenas are built with a north-south orientation, the Cowboys’ den is aligned in an east-west direction. The consequence? The sun shines through the huge bay windows at each end at certain times of the day.
When the Cowboys play late in the afternoon, we regularly see players being bothered by the sun’s rays. This was again the case Thursday evening during the match against the Kansas City Chiefs, and in these cases only the photographers enjoy this brightness which can offer superb images.
What does this have to do with the 2026 World Cup and the France team? The AT&T Stadium will be one of 16 stadiums in the competition, and will host five group stage matches. The Blues will know in a week, following the draw scheduled for Friday, December 5, if they will set foot there.
Will the Blues play at AT&T Stadium?
To avoid the Texan sun, we must not fall into group F. If Didier Deschamps and his men fall into group F, they will play two matches at AT&T Stadium, which would not be good news for Mike Maignan, Lucas Chevalier and the French goalkeepers.
Important clarification, AT&T Stadium, a stadium which cost $1.15 billion when it was built around twenty years ago, is equipped with curtains which can cover the bay windows at certain events, notably during concerts. These curtains are never used at Dallas Cowboys games, at the request of franchise owner Jerry Jones. It is not yet known whether they will be used for the 2026 World Cup.
