ARLINGTON, Texas — Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has been nowhere to be found at his own stadium during the World Cup — and the tournament has hosted a record nine matches there. But the billionaire NFL owner is finally ready to make his first appearance.
Jones plans to attend the upcoming semifinal matchup between France and Spain on Tuesday at AT&T Stadium, which FIFA has temporarily renamed Dallas Stadium for the tournament. It will be his first World Cup game of the summer.
Chad Estis, the Cowboys’ executive vice president of business operations, offered some insight into why Jones stayed away for so long. “I think first and foremost, he’s just a big event guy,” Estis said. “He loves the NFL. He loves the Dallas Cowboys. But he has a passion for events as much as anybody that I know. He very much wanted to ensure that the stadium was operating well.”
The Jones family does have a suite at the stadium and has been making use of it — just without Jerry. Each year between the end of Cowboys offseason workouts in June and the start of training camp in California in late July, Jones and some family members typically head out on his yacht.
That means Jones missed some truly memorable moments in person. He wasn’t there for Argentina superstar Lionel Messi’s record-setting performances, nor for Japanese fans who twice cleaned up entire sections of the stadium after themselves, nor for the final World Cup appearance of Portugal star and all-time men’s international scoring leader Cristiano Ronaldo.
Those are exactly the kinds of historic moments Jones had in mind when he designed and built the stadium, which opened in 2009 and within just over five years had already hosted a Super Bowl and NCAA championship games in both football and men’s basketball.
Jones also drew on personal experience, having toured European stadiums before incorporating large standing-room viewing areas on three levels at each end of the venue.
The stadium also features an impressive art collection, highlighted by a stainless steel sculpture by Anish Kapoor — known as “sky mirror” — on the east plaza. Kapoor is the same artist behind the famous “bean” sculpture in Chicago.
To get ready for the World Cup, the Cowboys invested an additional $350 million into the stadium, which originally cost $1.2 billion to build. While the massive video board looks largely the same, upgrades were made to its internal systems, along with new carpeting, furniture in premium areas, and a renovated fan shop.
“I cannot tell you how many people come to our stadium and say, ‘I can’t believe this is 17 years old,’” Estis said. “People think it feels new. The whole thing’s been great, but it feels like it culminates in this phenomenal match tomorrow.”
Hosting the World Cup did come with some trade-offs for Jones. FIFA took control of the venue, which meant the governing body got to hang curtains over the large sliding glass doors on the west end — something Jones has always refused to do for NFL games, even when the setting sun has caused problems for players. Jones has consistently insisted that coaches and players simply adjust their game plans accordingly.
For Tuesday’s match between Spain and France, the sun won’t be an issue given the time of day the game is scheduled.
Jones had hoped to land the World Cup final at his stadium, but instead received the consolation of hosting the most games of any venue, including one of the two semifinal matches. The final will be held at the home of the New York Jets and Giants in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The other semifinal, between Argentina and England, takes place Wednesday at the home of the Atlanta Falcons.
Dan Hunt, co-chair of the local organizing committee and son of the late Lamar Hunt — one of Jones’ rivals as owner of the Kansas City Chiefs — reflected on what this moment means for the Cowboys’ owner.
“It’s just another great moment in an unbelievable sports legacy,” Hunt said. “He’s been a world champion. He’s a Pro Football Hall of Famer. He’s hosted Super Bowls, hosted almost everything you can at AT&T Stadium. And this is just another moment.”
Jones also had to give up his personal suite at the 50-yard line. FIFA decided it was the ideal spot for a VIP area.
“We’re like, ‘Wait a minute. Are you serious?’” Estis said with a laugh. “I mean, I understand it. That’s why Jerry’s suite is there. It’s the prime spot.”
Rather than his usual prime location, Jones will watch from a different suite — a small price to pay for what is arguably the biggest single global sporting event to visit his venue.
“I think I could imagine him being a little emotional about it,” Estis said. “To see him in design meetings and his attention to detail and his care for what the stadium looked and felt like to people, what it looked like from different angles walking up to it. He just was so involved in the creation of what it is.”
After missing every match so far, Jones is finally about to experience the World Cup energy at his own stadium firsthand.
