FIFA Deploys Turfologists Across 16 Venues for 2026 World Cup Natural Pitches

1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 13

Sixteen stadiums across the United States, Canada and Mexico are being prepared to deliver the same natural-grass playing feel for all 104 World Cup matches.
FIFA has been working since 2018 with turf specialists led by researchers at the University of Tennessee and Michigan State to standardize ball bounce, movement and player footing.
The task is unusually complex because five venues are domed, eight have permanent artificial turf that must be overlaid, and climates vary widely across the three host countries.
That effort underpins one of FIFA’s core tournament rules: every 2026 World Cup match must be played on living, green turf despite the event’s 39-day, 48-team scale.