Sunday’s World Cup announcement could affect the New York Jets’ home playing field
A major sporting event is coming to MetLife Stadium, and it could significantly change the New York Jets’ playing surface.
It was announced on Sunday afternoon that the 2026 World Cup Final will take place at the Jets’ home stadium. MetLife Stadium was chosen over the Los Angeles-based SoFi Stadium and the Dallas-based AT&T Stadium.
BREAKING: The 2026 FIFA World Cup Final will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
MetLife Stadium was chosen over SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and AT&T Stadium in Dallas. pic.twitter.com/OVsmnb8Rbb
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) February 4, 2024
On the surface, the announcement is unrelated to the NFL or the Jets. It is great for the Jets organization to have their stadium host the biggest sporting event in the world, from both a financial and popularity perspective.
However, the arrival of the World Cup does hold actual implications for both the Jets and Giants, as it could cause the playing field at MetLife Stadium to change.
FIFA regulates that all playing surfaces used for its matches must be completely natural. Turf, specifically synthetic turf, is barred from usage in matches.
This means the turf surfaces at MetLife, among many other NFL stadiums that will be used for the soccer tournament, will have to be replaced with an all-natural grass surface.
FIFA requires that all stadiums must have natural grass.
MetLife will put down natural grass for the World Cup and the stadium will undergo some renovations prior to the 2026. https://t.co/7UX4WdgxqY
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) February 4, 2024
With the stadium having to be prepped for usage in the World Cup in the coming years, the Jets will be forced to change their much-maligned playing surface – which was recently criticized by one of their best young players.
Despite pushback from the league on the issue, NFL players feel more comfortable playing on natural grass than on turf. There is more give on grass, and according to a stat from Kyle Newman, teams with grass stadiums have fewer players on injured reserve.
This had me thinking about how much grass vs. turf actually affected injuries this year. 17 teams currently play home games on turf, while 15 play on grass.
Average # of players on IR for teams with turf: 10.76
Average # of players on IR for grass teams: 7.87 players https://t.co/8tJBEWsUld
— Kyle Newman (@NewmanNYsports) February 4, 2024
MetLife Stadium is the most notorious out of the turf stadiums, causing multiple season-ending injuries per season and having a horrible reputation among all players.
Making the switch permanent, while presenting some possible logistical challenges, would be extremely beneficial to the Jets’ players. Even if the natural grass prevents only an injury or two, that could make all the difference in a league dictated by minor details.
The switch will come at some point ahead of the World Cup in the summer of 2026. As a result, there is no reason not to get a head start on switching the playing surface to help out the players who have been clamoring for a change.
