And it has extended the requirement to skyward-facing logos or lettering on stadium roofs, the type that is only visible from airplanes or overhead camera angles.<\/p>\n
So, for months, stadium operators have been in talks with FIFA and third parties searching for solutions. With fewer than 100 days until kickoff, some of the 11 NFL venues set to host World Cup games still don\u2019t know exactly how they\u2019ll cover or conceal the rooftop branding, according to multiple people briefed on their plans.<\/p>\n
And one, Atlanta\u2019s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, came to an uncomfortable conclusion this winter: it couldn\u2019t figure out a way to cover the massive Mercedes-Benz star on its eight-piece retractable roof without risking significant damage.<\/p>\n
So, after roughly 18 months of discussions, FIFA agreed to let the stadium leave its roof as is, according to multiple people briefed on the situation.<\/p>\n
FIFA, in a statement from a spokesperson, said it would \u201cnot comment on specific arrangements relating to individual stadiums.\u201d<\/p>\n
In general, though, it said: \u201cFIFA 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
U.S. stadiums are generally more commercialized than sporting arenas elsewhere around the world. And to a degree, they are accustomed to \u201cde-branding\u201d for special events, such as College Football Playoff games. When outside entities rent NFL stadiums, some sponsor logos and displays are turned over to the renter for temporary, event-specific branding, especially inside the building.<\/p>\n
But the stadiums rarely, if ever, have to ditch their sponsored names, like they will this summer. Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be \u201cAtlanta Stadium.\u201d MetLife Stadium will be \u201cNew York New Jersey Stadium.\u201d Levi\u2019s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., will be \u201cSan Francisco Bay Area Stadium,\u201d according to FIFA.<\/p>\n
And they rarely, if ever, have been forced to conceal branding on their roofs.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2222765109-scaled.jpg\")
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\n The Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta during last summer\u2019s Club World Cup. (Kevin C. Cox \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
They didn\u2019t have to at last summer\u2019s Club World Cup, when stadium use was governed by standard rental agreements. But for the international World Cup, each stadium signed a near-100-page contract with FIFA late last decade.<\/p>\n
In clause 6.4.ii of those contracts, a few of which have been obtained via public records requests, the stadiums agreed to \u201cthe requirement that there shall be no advertising, marketing, promotion, merchandising, licensing, signage or other commercial identification of any kind on any stands, scoreboards, seats, seatbacks, time clocks, staff uniforms, Accreditation passes, fences or elsewhere inside, surrounding, or in the airspace above and around the Stadium other than that which is installed by, or at the direction of, FIFA or which is approved in writing by FIFA.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was the challenge Mercedes-Benz Stadium officials confronted years ago. Adam Fullerton, the stadium\u2019s vice-president of operations, said in early 2025 that he was confident in his team\u2019s ability to cover all indoor signage, and in its extensive plan to install a grass pitch in place of artificial turf; but the roof, he said, was \u201cwhat is keeping me up at night.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it\u2019s not just on the roof,\u201d he said of the Mercedes logos, which represent a clear conflict with FIFA\u2019s \u201cofficial mobility partners,\u201d Hyundai and Kia. \u201cIt\u2019s on all the facades of the stadium, too. And they\u2019re not small. They\u2019re large. By design.\u201d<\/p>\n
FIFA, he acknowledged, had the \u201cclean-site principle in the contract,\u201d but then he added with a smile: \u201cThere\u2019s been a healthy debate on exactly what \u2018clean site\u2019 means.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said that he and the stadium were \u201ctrying to come up with a good idea for how to actually mask those (logos) but still leave the building looking presentable and fun.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, I\u2019ve really pushed back on FIFA and said, \u2018OK, help us. What are you gonna brand our venue as? Help us come up with a branding package.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2206779417-1-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n SoFi Stadium outside Los Angeles will host the USMNT\u2019s first 2026 World Cup match. (Patrick T. Fallon \/ AFP \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Similar processes were ongoing at other World Cup stadiums. SoFi Stadium\u2019s SVP of facilities, Otto Benedict, said at the time that he and his team were \u201cdocumenting and identifying\u201d all signage that would need to be dealt with. \u201cThat goes back to FIFA,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd then we\u2019ll wait for their confirmation on the things that they want to see. And then we\u2019ll go put together a plan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the SoFi branding on the stadium\u2019s roof, Benedict didn\u2019t sound too concerned. But \u201cin talking to my counterparts (at other stadiums),\u201d he noted, \u201cthey\u2019re a little overwhelmed in what they have to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miami\u2019s Hard Rock Stadium, Seattle\u2019s Lumen Field, Dallas\u2019 AT&T Stadium, Houston\u2019s NRG Stadium and Philadelphia\u2019s Lincoln Financial Field also have skyward-facing branding.<\/p>\n
The Hard Rock logos in Miami and the \u201cLUMEN FIELD\u201d lettering in Seattle \u2014 which stretches approximately the length of a football field \u2014 are on either side of partial roofs.<\/p>\n
The \u201cnrg stadium\u201d branding in Houston is on the \u201ceyelids\u201d of a retractable roof, meaning it\u2019s always visible from above.<\/p>\n
The \u201cLincoln Financial Field\u201d branding in Philadelphia is next to solar panels on thin lips that cover the uppermost seats in the top deck.<\/p>\n
In Arlington, Texas, at the home of the Dallas Cowboys, there are two large AT&T logos on either end of a retractable roof and \u201cAT&T STADIUM\u201d plastered on both sides.<\/p>\n
Spokespeople and others familiar with the planning at multiple stadiums told The Athletic this month that they do have to cover the rooftop branding. But they could not say how, exactly, that would be done.<\/p>\n
![\"Seattle's](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-1503708333-1-scaled.jpg\")
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\n Seattle\u2019s Lumen Field has branding on both sides of its roof. (Steph Chambers \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Lumen Field\u2019s general manager, Zach Hensley, told the Puget Sound Business Journal<\/a> in November that figuring out a solution for the roof was the hardest part of the de-branding process, and would be done professionally rather than with something like a tarp.<\/p>\n It was most difficult, though, in Atlanta, which is scheduled to host eight games, including a semifinal.<\/p>\n The rooftop star at Mercedes-Benz Stadium is patterned onto eight interlocking and movable panels, each weighing 500 tons and stretching 220 feet long. The \u201cpetals,\u201d as they\u2019re known, close to form a multi-acre roof \u201cinspired by the oculus in the ancient Roman Pantheon<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n The panels are part-ETFE, a \u201cmalleable plastic material that\u2019s inflated with air,\u201d Fullerton explained in January. \u201cSo, those pillows present a bit of a challenge. \u2026 We\u2019ve gotta go up on those pillows and actually cover up the emblem and make that disappear.\u201d<\/p>\n At the time, he indicated that the \u201cleading plan\u201d was a \u201cvinyl graphic, and a pretty interesting lay-down method\u201d to cover the emblem. But stadium representatives cautioned that the plan wasn\u2019t finalized.<\/p>\n \u2018We\u2019ve had a lot of long conversations with our manufacturers and installers of the roof system,\u201d Fullerton said, \u201c\u2026 and (with) our signage vendor that we\u2019ve engaged to help us with a lot of this work.\u201d<\/p>\n Less than two months later, those conversations led to the agreement with FIFA that the emblem won\u2019t have to be covered after all.<\/p>\n FIFA, when asked why, did not explain. Mercedes-Benz Stadium spokespeople also declined to comment. But multiple sources told The Athletic that the primary reason for the exception was the risk of damage to the roof, which could cost millions of dollars to repair.<\/p>\n One also pointed out that the Mercedes logo \u2014 unlike those on other stadium roofs \u2014 is not visible when the roof is open.<\/p>\n For the World Cup, though, like for NFL and MLS games, stadiums with retractable roofs have been planning to keep them closed for the duration of the tournament, allowing them to maintain a climate-controlled environment for fans, players and grass. Fullerton confirmed in January that this was Mercedes-Benz Stadium\u2019s plan. \u201cWe do not intend on opening the roof,\u201d he said. It\u2019s unclear if FIFA would consider changing that plan for branding reasons.<\/p>\n