Goodbye to AT&T, MetLife, and SoFi: The iconic stadiums changing names for the World Cup
FIFA is stripping sponsor names from stadiums for the 2026 World Cup. Here’s every venue getting a temporary new identity.
Some of the most recognizable stadium names in North America are about to disappear, at least temporarily. When the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, fans won’t be heading to AT&T Stadium, MetLife Stadium, or SoFi Stadium. Instead, they’ll be walking into venues with stripped-down, simple names like “Dallas Stadium,” “New York New Jersey Stadium,” and “Los Angeles Stadium.”
It’s not a rebrand, but rather a rule. FIFA requires all World Cup venues to operate as “clean sites”, meaning any non-official sponsors must be removed from signage, branding, and even stadium names. That means corporate naming rights, worth millions in the NFL, are essentially paused for the duration of the tournament.
The result is a continent-wide identity shift that will make even the most iconic venues feel strangely unfamiliar.
The biggest name changes fans will notice during the World Cup
The most high-profile switch comes at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which will host the 2026 World Cup final. During the tournament, it will be known as “New York New Jersey Stadium”.
In Texas, the Dallas Cowboys’ home, AT&T Stadium in Arlington, becomes simply “Dallas Stadium”.
A peek inside “Dallas Stadium” for its first World Cup game 6/14 🇳🇱🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/p5aCrFmFfn
— peter (@peet2) June 8, 2026
Out west, SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, one of the newest and most expensive stadiums in the world, will be renamed “Los Angeles Stadium”.
These are just the headline changes. Nearly every major U.S. venue is undergoing the same transformation.
Full list of U.S. stadium name changes
Here’s how the stadiums will be rebranded during the World Cup:
- MetLife Stadium → New York New Jersey Stadium
- AT&T Stadium → Dallas Stadium
- SoFi Stadium → Los Angeles Stadium
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium → Atlanta Stadium
- Levi’s Stadium → San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
- Gillette Stadium → Boston Stadium
- Hard Rock Stadium → Miami Stadium
- Lumen Field → Seattle Stadium
- Lincoln Financial Field → Philadelphia Stadium
- NRG Stadium → Houston Stadium
- Arrowhead Stadium → Kansas City Stadium
Even signage inside and outside these venues is being covered or replaced, creating a noticeably different visual experience for fans.
"Kansas City Stadium is #WorldCup ready. No Arrowhead Stadium, #Chiefs ring of honor is covered though they did allow the Super Bowl banners to remain. Thank you FIFA 🙏
— Starcade Media (@StarcadeMediaKC) June 9, 2026
📹 @HaroldRKuntz3 pic.twitter.com/D7mSn163OT
What about Canada and Mexico?
The same rules apply across all 16 host venues, though the impact varies.
- BMO Field → Toronto Stadium
- BC Place → BC Place Vancouver
- Estadio BBVA → Estadio Monterrey
- Estadio Akron → Estadio Guadalajara
- Estadio Azteca → Mexico City Stadium
Some stadiums, like BC Place or Estadio Azteca, are less affected because they are not tied as strongly to corporate naming rights, but they still receive standardized tournament branding.
Why FIFA does this
This isn’t new, but the scale is unprecedented. FIFA’s “clean venue” policy is designed to protect its official sponsors, ensuring that no competing brands appear on stadiums during the tournament. With billions of dollars tied to sponsorship deals, enforcing exclusive visibility is a cornerstone of how the World Cup operates financially.
In practical terms, it means removing or covering everything from logos on the roof to massive signage on the exterior of stadiums. In some cases, entire facades are being redesigned for the event.
Once the World Cup concludes in July 2026, every venue will revert to its original name, signage, and sponsorship agreements. Until then, some of the most famous stadiums in the world will exist under entirely new identities, reminding fans that, for one summer, the World Cup takes over and reshapes cities.
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