Bringing UT’s Turfgrass Expertise to FIFA World Cup 26

A cross section of natural grass sod on black fabric.

A man with an outstretched arm looks under a panel of small round lights at a plot of green turfgrass.

White cleats with an orange Nike Swoosh step in motion on a plot of green turfgrass inside a building.

A male student in an orange sweatshirt and black shorts steps on a plot of green turfgrass inside a building.

Two men, one with white hair and one with dark hair, lean over a machine while outside on a plot of turfgrass.

Tackling turfgrass

What does it take to create the best pitches for FIFA World Cup 26™?

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s world-renowned turfgrass experts are leading a first-of-its-kind research collaboration with Michigan State University and FIFA, the global governing body for soccer, to set the stage for the world’s biggest and most-watched sporting event—FIFA World Cup 26 for some of the world’s top athletes.

UT is heading up the installation, testing, and maintenance of natural turfgrass at 16 stadiums and dozens of training facilities across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The goal is to ensure safe and consistent fields of play.

A man drives a machine that unrolls sod onto a field of sand while two workers help guide the machine. They are inside a stadium with red bleachers and other workers behind them.

Watch this video to learn more about UT’s collaboration with FIFA for the World Cup.

Explore the stadiums

With locations in three countries across multiple climate zones, the 16 stadiums that will host FIFA World Cup 26 matches present varied scientific challenges for UT’s team of experts.

Choose a stadium to learn more about the turfgrass developed and installed for that pitch.

BC Place Vancouver, Canada
Toronto Stadium, Canada
Estadio Azteca Mexico City, Mexico
Estadio Guadalajara, Mexico
Estadio Monterrey, Mexico
Atlanta Stadium, USA
Boston Stadium, USA
Dallas Stadium, USA
Houston Stadium, USA
Kansas City Stadium, USA
Los Angeles Stadium, USA
Miami Stadium, USA
New York New Jersey Stadium, USA
Philadelphia Stadium, USA
San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, USA
Seattle Stadium, USA

Championship stadium

Delve into the Pitch

How can a soccer ball bounce the same on a pitch in Vancouver, Canada, and in Mexico City? Through a five-year research project, UT’s expert turfgrass team has been developing turfgrass systems along with irrigation, maintenance, and testing methods to produce identical pitches that are safe for players.

Two of these systems include conventional rootzone and shallow profile. Conventional rootzone systems are typically found beneath high-end, natural turf fields. But eight of the sixteen stadiums hosting the World Cup are designed for artificial turf—and FIFA only uses natural turf. That’s where the shallow profile system comes in. Instead of a gravel base layer used in the conventional rootzone system, the shallow profile system uses permavoid and geotextile materials.

Select a layer to learn how the pieces of each turfgrass system work together.

Note: Graphic rendering of turf systems may not be to scale.

A man with white hair wearing an orange polo shirt stands in front of a field of green grass.

Two men stand on the floor of a stadium while three men on machinery lay turfgrass over a layer of sand.

Taking on the challenge

For UT Distinguished Professor John Sorochan and his team, FIFA World Cup 26 is a chance to put their expertise to the test, solving a complex challenge on a world stage while also running experiments that will refine our understanding of how to create the most consistent and safe playing fields for all athletes.

Discover why UT experts were tapped to develop the best and safest pitches.