Overview
- FIFA listed the Piece of the Pitch collection as a pre-order offering ahead of the July 19 final, with the $450 Foundation edition shown as sold out on FIFA’s store while UK manufacturer KeepStub still sells higher tiers.
- Each collectible contains an original fragment of the final playing surface preserved in an acrylic block that doubles as a USB keepsake with an authenticity film, and comes in four editions priced from $450 to $3,000.
- Production is capped at 2,026 units per edition for a total of 8,104 pieces, a scarcity model that would generate more than $11.2 million if every unit sells out.
- Orders will be prepared and shipped only after the World Cup final and delivery is limited to addresses in the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe.
- The sale has drawn attention because the MetLife pitch was recently relaid from a North Carolina sod farm and drew player and coach complaints about hardness and dryness, raising questions about selling the playing surface and the optics of tournament pricing and access.