Jerry Jones hoping for World Cup final, AT&T Stadium back in Super Bowl consideration

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones continues to hold out hope that the biggest sporting event in the world will hold its biggest match at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

But Jones declined to express confidence that AT&T Stadium will be named as host of the World Cup Final in 2026.

He said there is no better choice.

“Confident? No. Not confident,” Jones said. “But if you wanted to show the world, especially the youth of the world, where and what this country looks like and be representative of this country, you’d have it in Dallas, Texas.”

And Jones feels the same when it comes to hosting at Super Bowl at his Stadium in Arlington, which is also home of his Cowboys.

The NFL’s biggest game has not been in Arlington since 2011 when Super Bowl XLV was marred by a historical ice storm and a seating fiasco.

Blame also can be attributed to the NFL rule that teams considered for a Super Bowls host must also give up a home game and serve as host of in league’s International Series.

Jones always refused the latter because home games are too lucrative for him and the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.

And there was also the trend of the league awarding the game to franchises with new stadiums.

Except for Super Bowl XLVII at the Superdome in New Orleans, Super Bowl XLIX at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium in Houston and Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, every Super Bowl since the 2010 season has been played at a new stadium, including the one at AT&T Stadium, which was built in 2009..

Time, however, heals old wounds and paves the way for new thinking and policies.

According to Jones, there is no longer anything procedural or otherwise standing in the way of another Super Bowl at AT&T Stadium.

It’s just a matter of what NFL chooses to do now. There is no longer a bidding process, according to Jones.

Jones said his facility was among the sites considered for the 2027 Super Bowl that was awarded to SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Wednesday by NFL.

He said AT&T Stadium will be in consideration for future Super Bowls that have yet to be awarded.

“They’ll start talking about one of those years next year and we will more than likely be in the conversation,” Jones said. “We were in this conversation (for the 2027 Super Bowl). And we had a lot of control of whether we did it or not.”

And while everyone continues to point to the negative issues from previous Super Bowl in Arlington, Jones said the 2011 game is feather in the Cowboys cap when it comes to future Super Bowls there.

And said he North Texas’ standing as a premier economic area and sports city from the grass roots of youth sports to AT&T Stadium’s being chosen for early rounds of the World Cup and being considered for the final only add to their Super Bowl cache.

“The issues that were involved because of the weather won’t be involved,” Jones said. “Again, television will tell you that it was one of the finest presenting Super Bowls they’ve ever had. And I know that the time it certainly was the best economical Super Bowl the league had ever had. And so all of those things are alive and well. And of course, a funny thing happened along the way. North Texas has become one of the most attractive places there is in the United States in terms of its economy in terms of its growth.

“I know it is the capital of football in the United States. And I say that because of the emphasis we have on youth football and high school football and and the number of prospects that come from this area. So everything that has happened since that time is this area has just flexed its muscle on what it means to football. We got a great location to show off the NFL.”