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The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the largest soccer event in history. It will feature 104 matches played in 16 stadiums. These stadiums are located in three countries: Canada, the United States, and Mexico. As turfgrass researchers, we have a major responsibility. We must ensure that every playing field is identical. We must also guarantee that the grass remains healthy and safe for players throughout the entire eight-week tournament.
At first glance, this task seemed nearly impossible. The stadiums are in three distinct climate zones. The distance between the farthest venues is over 3,100 miles. Locations vary widely. Some venues are open-air stadiums in the heat of Miami and Mexico City. Others are enclosed NFL stadiums in Dallas and Atlanta. There are also cooler northern climates in Boston and Toronto.
Despite these differences, FIFA has strict construction rules. The grass must be natural but reinforced to survive intense games. Every field requires an automatic watering system. It needs excellent drainage and special artificial lights to help growth. Each host city must meet these standards. This is difficult for eight stadiums that normally use artificial plastic turf. They must switch to real grass. It is even harder for the five stadiums with roofs. These domes block sunlight, yet the grass inside must stay alive for the full event.
Our research team, from the University of Tennessee and Michigan State University, has spent five years solving these problems. We provide guidance on choosing the right grass and growing methods. This article explains our key findings.
Typically, sports sod is grown directly in native soil. When workers harvest it, they cut through the roots. This process shocks the plant. It can delay new root growth for weeks. This traditional method would fail for the World Cup. Games could begin just 10 days after installation. If roots are not firmly established by then, the surface will be weak.
To solve this, we grew sod on a layer of plastic with sand as the base. Imagine growing grass in a large plastic tray. When roots hit the plastic barrier, they cannot go deeper. Instead, they spread sideways. They weave together to form a thick, mat-like system. Because this root mat stays intact during harvest, the grass experiences almost no shock. It is ready for play almost immediately after being unrolled.
Sod is usually grown in sand because it drains water quickly. However, growing grass in only two inches of sand on plastic carries a risk. Heavy rain during the young growth phase can wash away the exposed sand. The plastic blocks drainage. This risk is lower for warm-season grasses like Bermudagrass. They grow roots quickly. The bigger challenge is for cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass. They establish themselves slowly.
Our solution was to mix a faster-growing species. We added perennial ryegrass to Kentucky bluegrass. We tested different seed ratios. We discovered that a mixture of 84% Kentucky bluegrass and 16% perennial ryegrass created a stronger sod mat. These findings have been adopted by sod farms across North America since 2025.
FIFA officials often remind us, "One World Cup game is equal to a Super Bowl." Since each field will host up to nine games over six weeks, the surfaces must be incredibly durable.
To make the grass tougher, we add small plastic fibers to the natural grass. This creates a hybrid turf system. As natural grass grows, its roots wrap around these plastic fibers. This anchors the surface. It keeps the field stable under the stress of competition. The fibers are colored to match the grass. Even if real blades wear down, the fibers help maintain a green appearance.
There are two ways to create hybrid turf. The first stitches long plastic fibers into existing grass. The second lays down a pre-made carpet of fibers. It fills the carpet with sand and seeds it. Stitched systems have a long history in the World Cup. Carpet systems are newer. They were used for the first time in the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Our team tested eight different carpet systems. We found that all could be successfully grown using our plastic-based method. More importantly, all eight passed FIFA’s strict performance tests. These tests measure how a soccer ball bounces. They check the resistance a player feels when turning. They also measure the field’s hardness. One specific carpet system was selected by three host cities: Vancouver, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia.
Fourteen of the 16 stadiums will use sod grown on plastic. In the spring of 2026, this sod will be rolled up and shipped. Some journeys will be short. Others will require long trips in refrigerated trucks across the continent. Because the root system remains intact after harvest, the sod can survive long travel times without significant damage.
Five stadiums have domes that limit sunlight. These venues will use cool-season grasses. They need less light to stay healthy than warm-season grasses. This creates a complex logistics challenge. For example, the open-air stadium in Miami will use Bermudagrass. It is suited to the local climate. However, the domed stadium in Houston will use the Kentucky bluegrass and ryegrass mix. This means cool-season sod must be shipped long distances. It travels from farms in Denver and Washington to domed stadiums in southern regions.
It may seem extraordinary that such complex steps are necessary. However, the unique combination of a long tournament, diverse stadium designs, and extreme climate differences demands innovative solutions. Our research ensures that every player, in every stadium, will step onto a field that looks, feels, and performs exactly the same.