Turf test: FIFA World Cup 2026 pitches taking shape in North America

When billions of fans tune in to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup, they will also be watching the outcome of a global grass-growing mission involving scientists, farmers and grass specialists.

Grass science is put to the test in 16 stadiums in Mexico, Canada and the United States. The goal is to create living surfaces that can withstand tackles, studs, repeated use and summer heat in very different climates.

“The stakes are very high and there is no room for error, and we definitely don’t want to have any failures,” said specialty grass farmer Bert Bos, whose family farm has supplied the grass for the World Cup stadium in Vancouver, where seven matches will be played from June 13.

The same pressure is being felt by Leah Brilman, who has a PhD in turf sciences and is senior manager of turfgrass development at global grass seed company DLF.

Brilman, who has worked on the World Cup stadium turf since the 2010 tournament in South Africa, said the process is much more detailed than it seems.

“It’s going to be a lot more complex than people think,” she says.

The grass will differ per stadium. Locations in the warmer host cities will use bermudagrass-based mixtures, while temperate cities such as Vancouver and Mexico City will use ryegrass mixtures, which thrive in cooler conditions.

“It’s a little humbling,” says Lorne Boundy, a farmer near Arborg, Manitoba, about ryegrass seed from his community being used for World Cup fields.

The specific grass types are the result of years of academic and commercial research, testing on farms around the world and collaboration with FIFA, which sets the standards for tournament surfaces.

“We put a lot of time and money into it,” says Brilman. “Every generation we improve what we have.”

That means the grass used in previous World Cups will likely not be the same as what will be used this time. Continuous breeding has created stronger varieties that are more resistant to disease and weeds, while using less water and fertilizer.

Grass seed cultivation remains a small industry. Boundy said only a few hundred farmers in his county produce seed that is later used on golf greens, playgrounds, parks and lawns.

Bos, the Abbotsford turf grower who produced the Vancouver field, said he enjoys the challenge of growing something unique. The grass is grown on plastic, develops sideways twisting roots and rises through a bristly, net-like fabric.

READ ALSO: FIFA World Cup 2026 Schedule – Full List of Matches, Dates, Start Times of Venues in IST, Live Streaming Information

The standards are strict. Over a length of three meters there should only be five millimeters of space for height variation.

“Everything has close tolerances,” Bos said.

Testing continues throughout the growing process, including the use of a ‘fake foot’ that presses into the grass like a rapidly spinning football player.

Brilman said it is not enough to use the same grass as in American football or rugby, because football puts a different pressure on the surface. For example, the area in front of the target can quickly become ragged and pockmarked.

«You’re constantly putting seed in that area,» she said.

One of the challenges for this World Cup is that in some stadiums grass fields must be placed above permanently laid artificial grass.

The goal is simple: no one should notice the grass. Organizers want to avoid a repeat of the February 2023 Super Bowl, where players from both teams criticized the playing surface after a match that saw many skids.

Tom Rinn, manager of DLF’s processing and distribution system, is also proud that the grass seed processed by his company will be part of the World Cup.

He said he was looking forward to “sitting around, watching a game, having a cold with the friends, and being able to say, ‘That’s our grass, that one over there, that came through here’.”

Published on June 4, 2026