"It seemed more like an artificial pitch. It was hard and rigid." That's Adrien Rabiot, a professional footballer, describing the surface he just played a World Cup game on. FIFA's response? Everything is performing exactly as intended.
MetLife Stadium — rebranded as New York New Jersey Stadium for the tournament — has become the most complained-about venue at the 2026 World Cup. Brazil drew 1-1 there on June 13. France beat Senegal 3-1 three days later. Six more games are scheduled at the ground, including the final on July 19.
The players aren't holding back
Vinicius Junior was blunt after Brazil's draw with Morocco: "Because of the weather and the heat, the grass dries out quickly and the game ends up being very slow. We can't build up a rhythm." That's not a minor complaint. That's one of the world's best players saying the surface is actively interfering with his game.
Didier Deschamps, ever the diplomat, described it as "a special surface" with a smile and noted there "might be some cement below the grass." Tactful. But also damning. Rabiot had no interest in diplomacy — he said he wasn't sure he'd even call it a pitch.
FIFA, for its part, issued a statement pointing to five years of research, testing, and collaboration with turf experts. The pitches, they insist, are "healthy and performing as intended for elite competition." They acknowledged some visual inconsistency but argued that appearance doesn't reflect playability.
Six more games, including the final
The timing matters. Norway and Senegal meet at the venue next — a must-win situation for Senegal after losing their Group I opener at the same ground. Returning to a surface they've already complained about is hardly ideal preparation for a knockout-or-bust moment.
And if the pitch is still this contentious come July 19, the World Cup final will be played on a surface that multiple players have publicly compared to concrete. FIFA's confidence in their turf management team is noted. It's just not shared by the people actually running on it.
