“There’s a bird in the luxury suite” — is not something I expected to hear while wandering around Dallas Stadium before Spain faced France.
The 71,000-seat stadium famously defies nature.
Although an indoor facility, the home of the Dallas Cowboys provided real grass for its 2026 World Cup games. Kentucky bluegrass grown in Colorado, mixed with rye grass, kept alive by pink LED grow lights, and reinforced with plastic fibers.
Although in Arlington, Texas, with June-July temperatures in the 90s and humidity north of 50%, players and fans enjoyed a comfortable air-conditioned 70 or so degrees inside what’s usually known as AT&T Stadium.
Before Tuesday’s kickoff, a 6-foot-4 security-type guy told the young club lounge attendant who reported the wayward bird: “It’s OK, I got him out. He’s outside on a tree now.”
Back inside the stadium, French and Spanish fans were joined by a large contingent of neutrals wearing a variety of national team jerseys, with Mexican and U.S. jerseys most prevalent.
To leave no doubt that this global event was hosted by Texas, Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders danced around UFC ringside announcer Bruce Buffer as he hollered, “The calm before the storm, then I begin to roar. … It’s time!” …
… For Spain and France to line up for their national anthems.
First up was the sweepingly melodic La Marseillaise, best enjoyed without contemplating the “impure blood” part of the lyrics. Then comes the Marcha Real, which has no lyrics, because Spain’s populace never reached a consensus on words to sing. Instead, La Roja fans hummed spiritedly to the tune.
Then began what was billed as the final before the final, because France and Spain had been the tournament’s outstanding teams.
Spain and France met a year ago in the 2025 UEFA Nations League semifinal in Stuttgart — and Spain won, 5-4. En route to winning Euro 2024, Spain beat France, 2-1, in the semifinals in Munich.
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