Seven NFL stadiums installed natural grass for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Players argue the same should be done for their safety. The NFL has not responded.
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Seven NFL venues that installed temporary natural grass for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are now facing renewed pressure from players to make the switch permanent. The call comes as MetLife Stadium in New Jersey prepares to host Sunday's World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina.
Washington Commanders tackle Laremy Tunsil posted on X: "If stadiums can make grass work for the World Cup, they can make it work for NFL players. We're #WorthTheCost." Green Bay Packers linebacker Zaire Franklin echoed the sentiment, writing: "The cost of doing nothing is paid for by players' bodies. Make grass mandatory. #WorthTheCost."
Former Packers tackle David Bakhtiari directed his criticism at the league itself, responding to a post showing Gillette Stadium had removed the grass laid for the World Cup. "Tell me you don't care about player's safety, without telling me you don't care about player's safety? @NFL," he wrote.
The NFL Players Association has been pressing this issue for years. In a statement five weeks ago, the union said: "The temporary installation of natural grass fields for the World Cup is a choice by certain NFL team owners to do for soccer players what they refuse to do for NFL players. It's no longer a question of capability; the technology exists, the expertise exists and the resources exist to install the high-level grass fields that our players overwhelmingly prefer."
The NFLPA cites a survey showing 92% of NFL players prefer natural grass. Studies have linked synthetic turf to higher rates of lower-body injuries, a concern that grew last season as several marquee players suffered major injuries.
FIFA mandated that all 11 World Cup stadiums, including the seven NFL venues, have natural grass. Those stadiums complied without public protest. The NFL has not responded to the #WorthTheCost campaign, and the league's silence suggests the decision may come down to cost. Artificial turf is cheaper to maintain year-round, and replacing it with grass would require ongoing upkeep that many owners have resisted.
The NFLPA used the same argument during last year's FIFA Club World Cup, when MetLife temporarily switched to natural grass. Sunday's final will be the latest showcase of what is possible when the league chooses to invest in player safety. Whether the NFL treats that as a precedent or an exception remains an open question.
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