MetLife Stadium transforming for FIFA World Cup 2026 matches. Here's how.
FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to begin Thursday.
MetLife Stadium, which will host eight matches, including a group stage match on Saturday and the final on July 19, has undergone a transformation.
"It's just the magnitude of the event"
MetLife is no stranger to hosting big events, including the Super Bowl, WrestleMania, and last summer's Club World Cup, but the World Cup is different.
"It's just the magnitude of the event. It's unbelievable how much it has grown -- from the hospitality, the transportation, to everything else that's included, all the logistics," MetLife CEO Ron VanDeVeen said.
That means significant infrastructure changes, including the dressing rooms. All of the changes have been unlike anything MetLife has instituted for any other major event. From VIP packages, to hospitality rooms, to new concession stands that include lobster roll carts, the stadium is opening its doors to the World Cup.
"It's probably 100-fold since 1994," VanDeVeen said, referring to the last time the U.S. and a stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, hosted the World Cup. "And also, compared to an NFL event or even a stadium concert, this is 100-fold compared to that."
The natural grass pitch
The most important component, at least for the players, is MetLife installing a pitch that complies with FIFA regulations. They state the competition must have natural grass over artificial turf, because it reduces lower-body injuries. It has been a very serious task for FIFA.
"Every single day, we're taking [moisture readings]," FIFA pitch venue manager Blair Chistiansen said.
He added they are also measuring surface firmness and ball roll.
Christiansen said the plan has been six years in the making in order to ensure the best possible temporary grass pitch is installed.
"So when teams come from the other side of the continent, they'll be playing on a surface that's really familiar to them and similar to where they've been previously," Christiansen said.
The final preparations are almost complete ahead of Saturday's big game between Brazil and Morocco.
