FIFA is forcing 11 NFL stadiums to be renamed at World Cup 2026
Phoebe Tonks
Featured Image Credit: efks/getty images
If you're planning on catching a World Cup match in the US, don't bother looking for tickets at MetLife, SoFi, or AT&T Stadium—because as far as football's governing body is concerned, those places don't exist.
Thanks to FIFA's fiercely strict 'clean stadium’ commercial policy, 11 of America's most recognizable sporting arenas are being temporarily stripped of their multi-million dollar corporate naming rights so as not to clash with the World Cup’s branding and partner sponsors.
Instead of the iconic names which have become a staple of many sports mad households around the world, fans are now being left with some of the most cookie-cutter names imaginable - and to make matters worse, they’re not even that accurate.
When it comes to the World Cup, FIFA has very clear rules about sponsorships and corporate branding.
As per its own policy, only official partners of the tournament are allowed to display their logos, branding, and names at stadium sites.
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Because the vast majority of NFL stadiums have huge corporate naming agreements already in place with companies that aren’t official FIFA sponsors, all of that branding has to be completely covered up or removed for the duration of the global tournament - including their branded names.
During the tournament, all stadiums will feature simpler, location-based names, instead of the usual branded titles they are typically known by.
However as some eagled eyed fans have pointed out, the locations used aren’t always completely accurate.
Gillette Stadium for example, the home to the New England Patriots is being called ‘Boston Stadium’ despite being a 30-mile drive away in Foxborough, or SoFi shared by the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers being ‘Los Angeles Stadium’ when it's actually in Inglewood, around 13 miles south of the city.
The following is a list of the changes:
To comply with FIFA’s branding rules, original stadium logos will be completely hidden from view during the matches - with one notable exception.
Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium managed to secure a special exemption from football's governing body to retain their branding, even if not their name.
This is because trying to cover up the massive Mercedes logo on the stadium's complex retractable roof was deemed a logistical nightmare that risked causing actual mechanical damage to the venue.
Following 18 months of intense, behind-the-scenes negotiations, FIFA and stadium officials finally reached a private agreement to leave the iconic three-pointed star exactly where it is.
In a statement, FIFA said: “FIFA is working closely with stadium authorities and host cities to implement brand protection requirements in a manner consistent with previous editions of the tournament, while taking into account the unique infrastructure and operational considerations at each venue.”