Win Projections to be updated soon
The 2026 World Cup will be hosted across North America, featuring an ambitious expansion with a 50% increase in participating teams. This tournament will span 16 cities across three countries, showcasing a diverse range of climates and elevations. This unique format aims to deliver an unparalleled football experience, offering fans a chance to witness the spectacle in various settings and conditions, reflecting the continent’s rich and varied geographical landscape.
FIFA Strives for Ideal Pitch:
FIFA has teamed up with turf specialists from the University of Tennessee and Michigan State University to design optimal playing surfaces for the 2026 World Cup. Their collaboration focuses on creating the ideal pitch for each venue, ensuring that every match is played on high-quality turf. This partnership aims to enhance the playing experience by developing the best possible surfaces for the tournament.
As the World Cup approaches with 48 teams set to compete in 104 matches across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada in under two years, FIFA is keen to avoid any pitch issues like those seen during this summer’s Copa America. Ensuring high-quality playing surfaces is a priority to prevent the pitch from becoming a point of contention during the tournament.
The Copa America, organized every four years by the South American football governing body CONMEBOL, faced significant issues with inconsistent playing surfaces. These problems with unstable pitches marred the tournament, highlighting the need for better pitch management and preparation to avoid similar issues in future events.
Emiliano Martínez Slams Poor Grass Field:
Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez criticized the switch from artificial turf to grass, describing it as a “disaster” following their victory over Canada on June 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. His comments echoed broader discontent among teams and coaches early in the tournament, highlighting ongoing issues with the playing surfaces.
Professor of turfgrass science and management at Tennessee John Sorochan said, “ FIFA has high expectations and demands that we can’t have any any failures. That’s why they’re supporting so much research and preparation so that they don’t have what happened at Copa, and the embarrassment of what CONMEBOL had.”
Similar to this year’s Copa America, the upcoming World Cup will feature matches in various football stadiums, including those with roof covers. The diversity in venues aims to accommodate the extensive tournament schedule and varying weather conditions, ensuring an optimal playing experience across different locations.
FIFA26 director of infrastructure and technical services Alan Ferguson said, ” One of the easiest decisions I have made around this tournament so far was the partnering of UT and MSU universities. Both already had world-leading reputations, both already led by world-leading turf professors. I didn’t want to reinvent the wheel — it was already here.”
Addressing Climate Impact on Turf:
With the World Cup spanning from Mexico to Canada, climate change adds another layer of complexity. Turf experts are evaluating various surface options to tackle this challenge, ensuring that each venue can handle diverse weather conditions and provide a high-quality playing field throughout the tournament.
John Sorochan further said, “ While new varieties of grasses have not been bred to specifically address the challenges of the World Cup, turfgrass breeding efforts over the past 20 years have released new grass varieties that have improved heat, drought, disease and wear tolerance.”
Tennessee developed a “shade house” to simulate indoor stadium conditions for turf testing, while Michigan State utilized a 23,000-square-foot asphalt slab to experiment with laying plastic-based turf rather than soil. These innovative approaches aim to optimize pitch quality and performance across diverse stadium environments.
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