MetLife Stadium, set to host the North and Central America World Cup final, has been swept up in a turf controversy. As players continue to raise complaints about the grass conditions, questions are growing over whether the venue is suitable for the final.
According to The Athletic, a sports outlet under The New York Times (NYT), on the 21st (local time), players and coaches are criticizing the turf conditions at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The stadium is scheduled to host the North and Central America World Cup final on July 19 next year.
So far, MetLife Stadium has staged two matches, Brazil vs. Morocco and France vs. Senegal. Going forward, six more matches are set to be played there, including the final.
The first player to raise the issue was Brazil forward Vinícius Júnior. After the match against Morocco on the 13th, Vinícius said, "Because of the weather and heat, the grass dries quickly and the game tempo becomes very slow," adding, "It's hard to move the ball quickly side to side, and it affects the team's game management."
The France national team offered a similar assessment. Coach Didier Deschamps described the turf at the venue after the Senegal match as a "special surface (surface spéciale)," expressing discomfort. Deschamps said, "It feels as if there is concrete under the grass," adding, "The grass length is also very short."
France midfielder Adrien Rabiot said, "It felt closer to artificial turf than natural grass," and assessed it as "very hard and rigid." Rabiot added, "We expect better turf conditions for the next match."
MetLife Stadium has long been used as a National Football League (NFL) venue, and natural grass was laid for this tournament. The turf was sourced from a sod farm in North Carolina and transported on 27 trucks. A combined irrigation system and a vacuum ventilation system are installed beneath the field.
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is maintaining the turf continuously before and after matches and at halftime. In practice, right after matches, turf crews inspect the entire pitch, carrying out leveling and aeration work, and during matches, sprinklers are operated to supply moisture.
But the controversy is not dying down easily. MetLife Stadium also faced criticism over turf conditions during last year's Club World Cup. After matches then, the coaches of FC Porto and SE Palmeiras likewise voiced complaints.
FIFA says there is no problem with the turf. In a statement, FIFA said, "The turf at the 16 stadiums used for the 2026 World Cup remains in excellent condition for both performance and player safety," adding, "Some areas may appear different on television or in person, but that does not indicate the quality of the turf or its suitability for play."