In a notable difference from the U.S. men’s national team and the other 48 teams set to compete in the 2026 World Cup, MetLife Stadium won’t host any pre-event games ahead of this major sporting occasion.
On Thursday, FIFA officials revealed the fresh grass being installed at the venue, a project that commenced the day before and was scheduled to wrap up later that night.
David Graham, the senior pitch manager, mentioned that the field will first see action during “the first New York-New Jersey game.”
He seemed pleased while showcasing the new turf that will be laid at the home stadium of both the Jets and Giants.
The initial matches at MetLife will kick off on June 13, with Brazil pitted against Morocco in a group stage clash.
The process of laying the new grass over the existing field involves two days of work and the use of 14 trucks at the location.
This grass was cultivated at Carolina Green Turf Farm in North Carolina, which also supplies the grass for Arrowhead Stadium and various practice fields used by the national team during the World Cup.
Growing a lawn takes around 8 to 10 months, and Graham emphasized that there’s a comprehensive plan to safeguard the grass from the time of installation until the World Cup begins.
“We have implemented a process that includes vacuum ventilation and will be doing hybrid reinforcement this weekend,” he explained. “It’s quite a detailed program. Ideally, we’d prefer warmer weather for better grass growth, but we usually follow a six to eight week routine, repeating it until the tournament concludes.”
As workers diligently set up the pitches in East Rutherford, it was reported that New Jersey Transit is lowering ticket prices for rail travel to the World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium.
Initially, a round-trip fare from Manhattan was set at $150, but it has now been cut to $105—a significant mark-up of over 800% compared to regular ticket prices.
The costs associated with the World Cup have sparked discussions, with President Trump also commenting during a phone conversation with The Post late Wednesday.
He expressed discontent over the steep ticket prices, stating to The Post’s James Franey, “Honestly, I don’t want to pay either.”
