SOCCER: NFLPA taking notice of grass surfaces for World Cup NFLPA

NFL players are closely watching how professional soccer is preparing for the upcoming World Cup, particularly the shift from artificial turf to natural grass surfaces in several major stadiums that also host NFL games.

National Football League Players Association executive director JC Tretter noted that seven NFL venues will temporarily replace artificial turf with grass for FIFA World Cup matches before reverting to synthetic surfaces once the NFL season begins in September.

The affected stadiums include venues in East Rutherford, New Jersey; Arlington, Texas; Foxborough, Massachusetts; Seattle, Washington; Houston, Texas; Inglewood, California; and Atlanta, Georgia. These stadiums are home to NFL franchises such as the New York Giants and New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, and Atlanta Falcons.

Fédération Internationale de Football Association requires natural grass surfaces for World Cup matches, prompting the temporary conversions. The 2026 tournament will also conclude at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.

Tretter, speaking on the “Not Just Football” podcast hosted by Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward, emphasized the players’ preference for grass over artificial turf.

“What we want is good grass fields. Good, solid fields,” Tretter said. “If you ask every player that we polled, 1,700 players, 92% say they want grass over turf. There is something about the feeling of being on grass, the body feels different.”

He added that the difference is noticeable even for coaches and staff, pointing to reduced physical strain when standing and moving on natural surfaces compared to synthetic turf during long games and practices.

“You look at FIFA, they’re rolling out the green carpet for soccer players,” Tretter said. “Over in European leagues, that is what you do. You play on grass. They have surface standards that are exactly how it’s supposed to be.”

The NFL Players Association has long raised concerns about playing surfaces, and Tretter indicated that field conditions will be a key topic in future labor discussions. The current NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement runs through March 2031.

— Field Level Media / Reuters