MetLife Stadium installs all-grass FIFA World Cup pitch
Plenty goes into making this pitch perfect.
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There was a special delivery at MetLife Stadium Thursday. Crews are installing the all-grass playing field for the FIFA World Cup.
"It’s only justice that the best players on the planet get the best grass on the planet, and we’re trying to achieve that," said FIFA senior pitch manager David Graham.
It’s a makeover at MetLife. The all-grass playing surface - 115 yards x 74 yards - is being installed more than a month before the first match. Last year, crews installed the FIFA Club World Cup pitch just a week before the tournament began. This time, Graham says prep work began as early as February.
“They have invested in us to have the time here to do what we need to do," Graham said. "Removing of the seats, making the bowl bigger, putting infrastructure in place.”
That includes a temporary irrigation system. The familiar turf field in East Rutherford has been ripped up, covered with 18 inches of sand and then North Carolina-grown bermudagrass.
Originally, the plans called for New Jersey-grown grass like was used in 2025, but a harsh winter played a role in making the change.
Bermudagrass is a warm-weather blend that thrives in the summer heat. FIFA requires grass - not turf - for its tournaments.
“The game in general has always been played on natural grass," Graham said.
Years of studies at universities across America go into making the pitch perfect before the first match in just over a month.
"I know it’s going to be good because of the research," Graham said.
The grass isn’t here to stay - the turf will return for the upcoming NFL season in September.
