2026 World Cup Final will be played at Metlife on Grass Turf

Well, if we do get a new grass playing field it can only help. I'm sure the existing surface (along with the local Income Tax) has put more than a few players off ever signing for the Jets and Giants

 

I’m not really convinced turf or grass are better or worse than the other for knees. I am convinced that OUR turf is definitely worse on knees than most of the playing surfaces.

The NFL should establish that fields are either all grass or all turf and see what happens. Inconsistency of playing surfaces might be a bigger factor in injuries than what it actually is.

I’m also convinced that players simply tape their ankles and feet and bodies way too much and way too tight. Obviously some muscles are going to snap when you artificially secure your foot to your ankle like some of these guys do. Same thing with some of the braces - they’re overkill IMO.

 

If I'm not mistaken, it's a common practice for stadium owners to put down temporary grass for soccer games and then remove it after. If that's true, I would expect the Jets to follow that practice.

 

How does the little birdie go? Cheap, cheap, cheap!

 

I edited the title a little bit. Hope it is OK with you

 

This is huge news. For those of you who wasn't following this, there were 3 candidates in the beginning. San Francisco SoFi Stadium, Dallas Cowboys stadium and Metlife.

Sofi got eliminated during the process and Cowboys Stadium and Metlife were finalists. I went down to Dallas to watch Cowboys-Jets game and before the game they announced inside the stadium that FIFA President Infantino was in the house.

Last week there were some reports saying Cowboys stadium would be awarded. These rumors came from the US delegation but FIFA never hinted one way or another. So something happened in last 10 days and Metlife was chosen over Cowboys stadium.

Game will be played on July 19, 2026 Sunday. It has to be Grass Turf. Metlife will host total 8 games. 5 group matches, 2 elimination games at Round of 16 and Quarter Finals and the FINAL.

I am so stoked. Bring it on!!!!

 

With Jets and Giants alternating weekends, I don't think sod would hold up. Plus all the other events they have in there.

 

7 figures estimated for installing and maintaining temporary grass that can withstand the whole tournament

 

I think a living playing surface will be completely eliminated from the NFL in less than a decade.

 

Great news - if England make the finals I may have to make the trip back over (they won't so it's a fairly safe statement to make)

 

There is also COPA America this summer in Metlife, so definitely over THIS summer 2024 there will be grass there, no need to wait for 2026. It's just a question of whether they want to keep it or not. I hope they can engineer something that can stay, but not holding my breath yet.

Another point though to bring up, people shit on this stadium for no good reason. Not esthetically pleasing to some I guess. But pleasing enough to the rest of the world to host the biggest event in the world in 4 years.

 

I don’t know about that ringing endorsement.

They literally just played the event in shithole Qatar

 

We need a US-England knockout round match on July 4 in Philadelphia.

 

I know people personally who went there. They all were happy with the experience. On TV also looked pretty good. Now I understand they invested a lot and basically bought their position to host but what may have been a shit hole at some point, from what I hear is no more... MetLife is a fine stadium. I do wish for a roof and grass, but these things can be done for a small fraction of a cost of changing a stadium, and the grass will literally be there already this summer if they want to/can keep it.

But yeah, I would say hosting WC Final is a pretty ringing endorsement when there were 3 countries with multiple sites trying to get this Final - once in a 4 year biggest event in the world. Maybe Metlife Stadium is not as bad by merit as some people (a lot of whom commuting from NY and hence the possible ulterior motive) make it out to be...

 

A completely separate decision. North America won the decision to host the WC against other countries or regions but not because of Metlife Stadium.

Once it was given to North America then there was a decision where to host the finals. And I as understand it, they were all American venues, Metlife beat out the Cowboys Stadium and the Rams stadium

https://theathletic.com/5241468/2024/02/04/world-cup-final-2026-new-jersey/

FIFA was concerned about how the temporary grass would hold up for the length of the tournament in Dallas and LA which are domed stadiums. Metlife has the advantage of being open-air they were looking for

 

The only ringing endorsement of the stadium is that NYC is a stones throw away