Why FIFA Is Staking Its $3.8B World Cup on This Grass Experiment | WSJ Tech Behind

Why It Matters

Success will be critical to the tournament’s quality and player safety, requires large infrastructure and logistical investments, and could reshape how multi-use stadiums manage playing surfaces going forward.

Summary

FIFA is mounting a large-scale experiment to install natural grass across 16 North American stadiums for the $3.8 billion, 2026 World Cup—despite many venues being NFL-style domes or having climates hostile to turf. Researchers have spent years developing stadium-specific grass recipes, testing varieties (Bermuda for warm venues, Kentucky blue/perennial rye for cool ones) and simulating traffic, light and cleat impact in labs. Implementation involves building layered pitch systems, transporting refrigerated sod across long distances, and sometimes major structural stadium modifications to accommodate the turf. Organizers hope the project proves natural grass can be reliably deployed across diverse venues and leave a lasting legacy for other sports and levels of play.

Original Description

FIFA is spending millions to create consistent, natural-grass playing surfaces across all 16 stadiums hosting the 2026 World Cup. Because many of these venues in the U.S. were designed for NFL football rather than soccer pitches, the project requires massive transformations at each venue. Grass for the new playing surfaces must be grown at specialized turf farms, transported across the continent, and installed in stadiums across North America, each with its own unique climate, design, and challenges.

WSJ explores how scientists are pulling off this multimillion-dollar engineering feat, and how it could change the future of sports.

Chapters:

0:00 Playing soccer matches in NFL stadiums

0:48 Developing the grass

3:42 Moving from sod farms to stadiums

4:56 Working across different venues

5:53 Impact on sports

Tech Behind

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