World Cup Pitch Engineering Across the United States, Canada and Mexico

A multi‑year effort by turf scientists and stadium crews has produced natural‑grass playing surfaces for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Teams from the University of Tennessee and Michigan State spent about eight years developing hybrid grass blends for the 16 venues spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico, meeting FIFA’s requirement that all pitches be natural and competitively neutral.

Eight of the stadiums—seven in the U.S. and one in Canada—normally use artificial turf. They were converted with a layered drainage and ventilation system, sand, locally grown sod and artificial‑fiber reinforcement. Two grass varieties were selected: Bermuda grass for hotter, humid sites such as Monterrey, and a mix of perennial rye and Kentucky bluegrass for cooler climates and indoor arenas like Vancouver’s BC Place. Notable challenges included AT&T Stadium’s retractable roof, which prevented sunlight; engineers installed pink grow lights to keep the grass healthy.

The work began in early 2024, with the first women's national team match on the new Seattle surface in April. By May, sod was delivered to SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles for the opening game between the United States and Paraguay. The result is a seamless playing surface that players, such as U.S. captain Lindsey Heaps, reported they “didn’t notice at all,” allowing fans to focus on the matches rather than the turf.