Read 4 minutesUpdated: 17 July 2026 03:05 PM IST
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final produced a classic clash of continents and contrasts at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday night – Europe’s best, Spain, against South America’s defending champions Argentina.
For the first time in history, the reigning European and Copa America winners will face each other in the World Cup final. While there are interesting subplots in the summit clash involving Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal and others, the threat to challenge their supremacy is unlikely – at least on the grass the ball will roll on for 90 minutes on Sunday.
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Why has Fifa’s MetLife Stadium pitch raised concerns?
Brazil and Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior called it dry. Also wondered if French midfielder Adrien Rabiot could be labeled a “pitch”. Rabiot’s coach Didier Deschamps certainly felt the grass at MetLife Stadium was ‘special’ and ‘different’ during last month’s group-stage action.
After putting the 82,500-seat venue aside for the past fortnight to prepare for the final, FIFA’s pitch development and maintenance unit hopes the grass will not affect dynamics on Sunday as much as it did before the tournament.
“Because of the weather and the heat, the grass dries quickly and the game is very slow,” Vinicius told TNT Sports Brazil after his side’s 1-1 group-stage draw against Morocco. “We can’t create a rhythm.
“It makes things difficult because we want to play. We want to move the ball from side to side and it disrupts our game. But we have to adapt because I believe it will be like this all tournament. Everyone has to play on the same surface.”
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Brazil’s Vinicius Junior criticized the MetLife Stadium pitch during the group stage of the ongoing World Cup. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
France’s Rabiot did not last, though, in a 3-1 win over Senegal. “The pitch — I don’t know if you can call it that,” he said. “It felt more like an artificial surface. Very hard and strong.”
Will the pitch be ready for the World Cup final?
Alan Ferguson, who oversees pitch development for FIFA at the World Cup, told The Athletic that organizers are confident grass will not be a particular talking point during the finals. Preparations have been in full swing since July 5, when Norway knocked Brazil out of the World Cup with a 2-1 win, to get grass on point for the final.
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Ferguson said the pitch concerns were due to a calculated punt by organizers to prioritize the “warm-season” grass selected on the “cool-season” pitches at the New Jersey venue over surfaces in other cities. Bermuda grass surfaces are expected to withstand harsh temperatures for extended periods of time, making them the preferred choice for the World Cup final venue.
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“We knew from the Club World Cup (last summer, in which a temporary grass pitch was installed over MetLife’s artificial pitch) that temperatures can rise quickly in New York. I had the option of putting in cold-season grass, which would have been fine, but that was a big gamble and one I didn’t want to take,” said Forgetson.
Despite the criticism, FIFA rated the MetLife pitch as the fourth-best of all 16 venues in this edition. “It (MetLife) tested consistently as the fourth-best pitch out of 16 from start to finish,” Ferguson said. “We’re happy with all the pitches, but especially that pitch, because it has the most load.”