FIFA-led study to design 2026 World Cup field

FIFA Head of Pitch Alan Ferguson always knew that the biggest challenge for FIFA 2026 in North America was creating a uniform field experience.

“The challenge is [the grass] Do the same,” Ferguson told me.

Therefore, in June 2022, FIFA’s Pitch Management Team carried out a research and development project and established a research center focused on building the competitive aspects of the tournament. By partnering with the University of Tennessee and Michigan State University, the team understands what it takes for the field to play evenly across his three time zones, three countries and three unique climate regions. We are in the midst of a multi-year plan for

This research study is progressing well, with early results regarding turf types and field construction needs across 16 stadiums, whether playing in domed stadiums or at a variety of outdoor locations. The focus is on ensuring a similar experience for players.

Creating the best lawn begins beneath the lawn. And you also need space to give your lawn a quality base. Eight of the tournament’s 16 stadiums will serve as traditional soccer venues with enough space to accommodate a 15-inch base made of sand, dirt and turf. The other eight stadiums are not designed for soccer, and some have only 5 to 6 inches of base space. Those venues require a “shallow profile.”

The act of reducing common structures will require researchers to investigate about a dozen concepts that could support the natural grass required for FIFA World Cup play. The group has already shortlisted three systems, one of which he believes could provide the answer. Next key milestones include creating a complete field with a shallow profile in North America to enable live testing.

“Research farms are fine, but there’s no real-life testing,” Ferguson says. “We get a full-sized ground and have the grounds team come in and look at the installation, look at the maintenance, look at the matches that are played there and see how it works. We hope to provide a large amount of data to feed back into research.”

The team believes it has a high-quality list of potential sites and hopes to conduct testing by the end of 2024. [the shallow profile fields] It makes it behave like a natural pitcher,” Ferguson said. “That’s the big challenge.”

Stadiums that can handle the entire base under grass will do so, but all stadiums with limited space will employ the thoroughly researched shallow profile system.

Next comes the actual grass. Ferguson said he expects three to four different types of grass to be used throughout the tournament due to the different climate regions. “We knew we needed diversity,” he says. “It’s okay to use different types of grass.”

Regardless of the grass type, it is expected that a combination of natural grass and artificial grass will play an active role at the World Cup. Mr Ferguson said that while the elite level prefers to play on natural grass, developing hybrid varieties that combine natural grass with synthetic fibers “has proven to be a successful method”.

The team is currently researching eight different hybrids and continues to work with the NFL and MLS to understand the benefits of all options.

Ferguson says having different types of grass won’t affect play on the field, as long as the grass types can be made to be the same based on the structure of the pitch. The research team has already identified four main varieties, but they are still working on narrowing down some of the details. That includes traditional players like Kentucky bluegrass, Bermuda, and ryegrass for cooler regions. The team is also considering introducing Kikuyu grass to Mexico City, a variety that can handle both altitude and temperature, but the grass may still need “strengthening.”

At the end of the day, Ferguson says growing the ideal FIFA pitch requires going back to basic biology. “Any green plant needs sunlight, fresh air, and a little water,” he says. FIFA is working with various companies around the world to incorporate glow light technology, aiming to “replace lost natural elements”.

As the FIFA-led team prepares to host the tournament in 16 venues across three countries in 2026, Ferguson believes establishing a research center is the right solution. “We’re in a good position,” he says. “We’re where I want to be.”