Overview
- High-profile players and coaches including Vinicius Junior, Adrien Rabiot, Didier Deschamps and William Saliba publicly complained about the MetLife surface after matches played on June 13 and June 16, saying the grass felt hard, produced odd bounces and dried out in the second half.
- FIFA issued an official statement saying the pitches at all 16 World Cup venues are in "excellent condition" and described tailored irrigation, testing and continuous monitoring as the basis for its assessment.
- The MetLife playing surface is a temporary natural-sod installation moved from a North Carolina farm and laid over technical infrastructure that includes automated irrigation and vacuum ventilation, which experts say limits root depth and cushion on a hard base.
- Stadium operators have run intensive, round-the-clock maintenance after games, with crews inspecting seams, aerating, mowing and measuring moisture to try to keep the field playable between matches.
- The stadium remains scheduled to host six more World Cup games including England vs Panama on June 27 and the July 19 final, and the situation could affect player preparation, fan perception and continued close monitoring of the turf through the rest of the tournament.