FIFA Faces Major Challenge: 2026 World Cup to Feature Four Turf Types

Four years after the World Cup in Qatar, where all stadiums were located within a single microclimate spanning just a few dozen square kilometers, FIFA faced an immense challenge this year. The international football federation had to ensure uniformity across playing surfaces, despite 104 matches being played in three countries with vastly different climatic conditions.

"Even in Russia, it was less complicated, despite it also being a huge country. However, the differences in air humidity weren't as significant there. This year, the climatic conditions between Guadalajara and Vancouver are extremely disparate," stated Pierre-Yves Bovigny to the newspaper Blick. Bovigny is a university lecturer at the School of Landscape, Engineering, and Architecture in Geneva, and a turf expert for the Swiss Football Association.

"What has been done this year for the World Cup organization regarding pitches is unique. Firstly, it's important to realize that half of the sixteen stadiums had artificial turf, which needed to be replaced with natural grass. Additionally, there are five stadiums with retractable roofs that allow less light. The initial situation is therefore quite complex," the expert continued.

It's worth noting that beyond the 16 playing fields, 84 other locations and 178 training pitches also need to be maintained. To optimize these processes, FIFA primarily turned to two universities: the University of Tennessee (UT) and Michigan State University (MSU).

"For the Women's EURO 2025 in Switzerland, we also replaced artificial turf with natural grass at the Young Boys Bern and FC Thun stadiums, but the method used in the USA is different again," Bovigny explained.

A crucial aspect is the choice of turf species. For instance, Switzerland is training in San Diego on pitches with Bermuda grass, which is exceptionally heat-resistant: "That's very good because they will also play on this turf, designed for hot and dry climates, in Los Angeles. This ensures a certain consistency between training and matches." However, it didn't help against Qatar – even in San Francisco, the Swiss played on Bermuda grass.

The turf on which the Swiss national team has been training since their arrival in California is ideal for warm climates, but it doesn't offer much joint comfort and is more demanding than other turf types. "Every turf has its specific characteristics, whether it's energy return, joint comfort, or rotational resistance," the specialist added. Therefore, the risk of injury is higher on Bermuda grass. "I have alerted the Swiss Football Association to all these parameters," he assured.

For colder climatic zones, whether in Canada or the northern USA, some stadiums are equipped with fescue and bluegrass mixtures, commonly used in Europe, Vancouver, and New York. Kikuyu and Paspalum varieties are also utilized. "This will be the first World Cup played on four different types of turf," concluded the Swiss expert.

The players of the Swiss national football team are currently satisfied with the quality of the pitches available at the Jewish Academy training center in San Diego. "The turf is perfect," confirmed Michel Aebischer, who nonetheless feels a difference compared to European pitches: "Yes, it's definitely a bit harder, drier, a little different. That makes a difference when you want to play fast."