Dallas Stadium prepares for France vs Spain World Cup Semifinal match

ARLINGTON, Texas - As Dallas Stadium prepares to host its final match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the focus isn't just on the players taking the field for Tuesday's semifinal between Spain and France. 

Behind the scenes, hundreds of workers have spent weeks ensuring every aspect of the tournament experience is ready.

Bringing Texas energy to the World Cup

Local perspective:

For DJ Chuy Salazar, every song played during a match is a reminder of how far he's come.

The Waco resident, who regularly DJs at sporting events across Texas, now finds himself performing on one of the world's biggest stages.

"When fans are singing along, that's the best part," Salazar said. "It's something I'm incredibly grateful to be a part of."

Science behind Dallas Stadium's World Cup pitch

What they're saying:

From the music echoing through the stadium to the grass beneath the players' feet, the green soccer pitch is currently pink because of the LED lights that help this grass grow. 

Keep in mind, on Tuesday, this will be the ninth match played here at Dallas Stadium, more than any other stadium in this tournament. So needless to say, it’s been a lot of work for the pitch team to make sure this grass is growing and being treated properly.

FIFA Pitch Manager, Ian Craig, oversees the field. He says it’s "cool-season grass", which is a mixture of Kentucky bluegrass and ryegrass with five percent artificial fibers sewn through it for additional stability, playability and durability. The grass is grown in Colorado and shipped to Texas. 

 "It’s done really well. You know, it’s performed exactly how we wanted it throughout the tournament," said Craig. "In Texas, this wouldn’t survive outdoors in Texas, but conversely, the type of grass that would grow outdoors in Texas wouldn’t survive here because we don’t have the right light levels or the right temperature for it."

Craig feels a sense of pride knowing the grass has held up, but also feels sadness and relief that the World Cup is ending.

"A mixture of emotions comes from that final whistle," he said.

North American FIFA fandom explodes

Dig deeper:

FIFA’s Head of Production and Stadium Entertainment, Lance Brass, says it’s been an honor to see countries like the United States and Canada embrace soccer culture, knowing soccer is far from the top sport in these two countries.

 "You’ve already seen like the culture of the fandom and the passion of the fandom, but now it’s just exploding," said Brass.

"And they’ve really engaged with the fan culture and just seeing that multiply over the tournament has been incredible and the singing in the stadium is my favorite thing in the world. Like it’s deafening. It’s amazing."

Spain vs. France Semifinal at Dallas Stadium

What's next:

Tuesday's semifinal between Spain and France will provide one last opportunity for North Texas fans to experience that atmosphere before Dallas Stadium's role in the World Cup comes to an end.

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