World Cup has exposed major stadium flaw as NFL stars urged to ‘fight’ for CBA rule change

NFL players have been told to ‘fight’ to keep the natural grass surfaces installed at stadiums across the United States.

Eleven of the venues in use for this summer’s World Cup, which is taking place in the US, Canada and Mexico, are home to American football teams.

Getty

Of those 11 stadiums, seven traditionally use synthetic turf as their primary playing surface for NFL games.

But for the World Cup, new surfaces have been laid out.

Fresh natural grass was transported across the country in refrigerated trucks, and placed meticulously to meet FIFA standards.

The change, though, is temporary.

Once the World Cup is over, turf will return for the beginning of the 2026 NFL season, much to the dismay of many players who believe that surface can cause more injuries.

With their home fields in the global spotlight, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) took a moment to remind fans on the eve of the tournament that 92 percent of American football stars would rather play on natural grass.

The social media post was widely shared, and once again sparked the sport’s long-running turf vs grass debate.

But veteran sportswriter Peter King believes the only way the noise will translate to change is if NFL stars stand up and fight.

NFL players told to ‘fight’ for natural grass fields

“There will be pressure, but the only way that the pressure will ever translate into all grass fields in the NFL is very, very simple,” King said, during an appearance on The S Word powered by talkSPORT.

“You’ve got to make it a part of the collective bargaining agreement. That’s all there is to it.

Getty

Getty

“If players don’t stand up and say, ‘We don’t want to play on the fake grass anymore. We want real grass,’ (they won’t) legislate it.”

King went on to suggest that players and owners often clash over the best type of playing surface, with the latter pointing to data that suggests injury risk is no greater on turf than it is on grass.

He added: “Owners left to their own devices are going to cite the statistics that say there’s no overwhelming or very significant evidence that the injuries — especially to knees, ankles and feet — is any greater on AstroTurf than it is on natural grass.

“And that is in part because late in the year — December, January — if you would play on natural grass, a lot of those fields are chewed up and in awful shape.

“So, there are sometimes when it’s actually going to be better for the body to play on artificial turf, but most of the time, I’ll tell you, players in an avalanche would rather play on grass.

“And the collective bargaining agreement is coming up now, negotiations in about three years.

Getty

“These players, if you want it, you’ve got to fight for it.”

NFL players make fresh plea for grass surfaces

With the World Cup in full swing, it didn’t take long for NFL stars to notice the changes FIFA has made.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle shared his thoughts as he watched the USMNT win their opening game in Los Angeles.

“This grass looks great on SoFi’s field… wonder if we could get that all season,” he wrote on X.

Getty

New York Giants offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor, who plays home games at the notorious MetLife Stadium, suggested it ‘sucks’ to see a grass surface installed just for the World Cup.

“It was a kind of sucky feeling,” Eluemunor said, when asked about his reaction to learning of the switch.

“I’m going into Year 10, and I can say wholeheartedly that grass feels way better than turf.

“With MetLife getting grass, obviously it’s cool for FIFA and the World Cup.

NFL Stadium Status

On the Move – Why is Roger Goodell allowing three of NFL’s most famous teams to build $8.8bn new homes and ditch diehard fans?

Chicago Bears – NFL’s second-oldest team admits defeat as $5bn relocation from 102-year-old stadium confirmed in statement

Kansas City Chiefs – Chiefs owner issues response as Kansas City’s $4bn cross-state relocation plan hits roadblock

Jacksonville Jaguars – $5.6bn NFL team’s 150-mile relocation triggers unique rule exemption amid CBA conflict

Cleveland Browns – $2.6bn NFL stadium fraught with drama finally makes breakthrough as Super Bowl dream teased

Tennessee Titans – Super Bowl 2030 host is unopened $2.2bn ‘cookie-cutter’ stadium that will be NFL’s smallest

“It’s one of the biggest stages in the world but, at the same time, the NFL as a whole is one of the most profitable businesses in the world, and so you would think that us as players would have a say in the fields that we get to play on.”

The turf vs grass debate was a talking point long before the World Cup rolled into town, and it will continue to cause a divide long after the final is played.

But FIFA has provided a blueprint to prove grass fields are possible in all NFL stadiums, and if American football players desperately want to make that change permanent, they now need to fight for it.

Stay up to date on all things NFL across our talkSPORT platforms – subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest news, opinion, exclusive interviews and our daily unfiltered, unscripted show ‘The S* Word, from 8am ET.