#5 — AT&T Stadium (Dallas): ~$1.3 billion
Nicknamed "JerryWorld," AT&T Stadium, in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys, cost about $1.3 billion and helped redefine the concept of a luxury stadium in the NFL. It's famous for the two 300-meter steel arches that cross the dome and one of the biggest HD screens in the world.
It's one of the largest stadiums at the World Cup, holding more than 94,000 people — making it the highest-capacity venue in the tournament. It's undergoing a roughly $295 million renovation for the World Cup, and will host important games, including a semifinal.
Top 5 cracked. And the podium is dominated by giants.
#4 — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta): ~$1.6 billion
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, in Atlanta, cost about $1.6 billion and is one of the most visually impressive stadiums. Its eight-panel retractable roof opens like a camera lens, and a 360-degree halo-shaped screen wraps around the entire upper deck.
It took 27,000 tons of structural steel to deliver 71,000 seats, 190 suites, and 24 bars and restaurants. It will host 8 World Cup games, including a semifinal. Luxury design taken to the extreme.
#3 — MetLife Stadium (New York): ~$1.6 billion
MetLife Stadium, in New Jersey, cost about $1.6 billion (which would be about $2.3 billion in today's adjusted dollars) — and it has the tournament's greatest honor: it will host the World Cup FINAL, on July 19, 2026.
It's the only NFL stadium shared by two teams (Giants and Jets), with a neutral-brand design and a capacity of about 82,500. A curious sustainability detail: 100,000 tons of material from the old, demolished Giants Stadium were reused. The stage for the decider is the third-most-expensive — but #1 will still surprise you.
And now the top 2. The distance to #1 is what nobody expects.
#2 — The runner-up and the abyss to the top
Here's the moment to understand the true scale of this list. The second-most-expensive stadiums at the World Cup — the best of the $1.6 billion range, like MetLife and Mercedes-Benz — are absurd monuments of engineering and money.
And even so, they cost less than a third of #1. Think about that: you could add up two or three of the most expensive stadiums on this list and still not come close to the value of a single venue. That's the size of the abyss separating the top from everything else.
You probably already know what #1 is. But the exact number is jaw-dropping.