Metlife Stadium is one of seven NFL venues that replaced its synthetic turf with natural grass just for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
LightRocket via Getty Images
The switch to natural grass has ignited a broader conversation among NFL athletes about playing surface safety. Seven stadiums, including MetLife Stadium in New Jersey—the future host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina—temporarily replaced artificial turf with grass for the tournament.
NFL Players Lead Call for Natural Grass Fields Ahead of 2026 World Cup
For instance, Washington Commanders offensive tackle Brandon Laremy posted on X, “If stadiums can make grass work for the World Cup, they can make it work for NFL players. We’re #WorthTheCost.”
Similarly, Green Bay Packers linebacker Zaire Franklin invoked the same hashtag, tweeting, “The cost of doing nothing is paid for by players’ bodies. Make grass mandatory. #WorthTheCost.”
Former Packers linebacker David Bakhtiari highlighted the inconsistency when he responded to an X post showing that Gillette Stadium had reverted to artificial turf after the World Cup, writing, “Tell me you don’t care about player’s safety, without telling me you don’t care about player’s safety? @NFL.”
Five weeks earlier, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) released a statement on social media: “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.”
Historical Context of the Natural‑Grass Advocacy
The campaign for natural surfaces is not a recent development. In November 2024, Forbes reported that the NFLPA has long urged teams to revert to grass, citing a survey in which 92 percent of players expressed a preference for natural turf. Studies have linked artificial surfaces to higher rates of injury, and the 2024 season saw an elevated number of significant injuries among key players.
Proponents of synthetic turf argue that it is cheaper to maintain and easier to install. Critics contend that the financial calculus overlooks the long‑term health costs borne by athletes. FIFA mandated natural grass for all 11 World Cup venues, prompting the NFL stadiums to make the temporary change without significant objection. To date, the NFL has not issued a formal response to the #WorthTheCost initiative.
The NFLPA also leveraged the World Club Cup as a platform to reinforce its stance, noting MetLife Stadium’s earlier conversion to grass. The overarching question remains whether the high‑profile soccer events will catalyze a broader reconsideration of field surfaces for professional American football.
