sports
Eleven NFL Stadiums Modified for World Cup Matches
Venues across the U.S. are installing new grass surfaces, removing seats, and adding infrastructure ahead of summer matches.
Jun 13, 2:28 AM·2m read1 source
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Eleven NFL stadiums are hosting World Cup matches this summer after completing field installations, seating removals, and other modifications. Houston began renovations last summer that included removing corner seats to enlarge the playing surface. The venue will lay ryegrass-Kentucky bluegrass rolls from Colorado, each measuring up to 50 feet long and weighing between 1,800 and 2,000 pounds.
A specialty sod-unrolling machine will place the rolls, after which polypropylene fibers will be stitched into the surface. Eight full-time staff members will maintain the field from installation through July 5 or shortly afterward. The estimated renovation cost reached $15 million.
Kansas City resodded Arrowhead Stadium with a new Bermuda field and installed an air system beneath the surface to regulate grass conditions. Workers removed 3,500 modular seats to accommodate the full soccer pitch. Renovations at the stadium have been underway since 2024.
FIFA has noted that Arrowhead Stadium holds the Guinness World Record as the loudest outdoor sports venue. SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles began field testing in March 2025. The ryegrass-Kentucky bluegrass surface sits atop artificial turf and rests on multiple layers of a water management system two feet above the NFL field.
The system includes a permeable cloth, grass, and sand that permits airflow to control moisture. The grass was transported from Washington. Grow lights will supplement natural light inside the venue.
Up to 30 employees may be required to maintain the field. One hundred seats from each corner were removed to fit the elevated and wider soccer pitch. Hard Rock Stadium in Miami will use Bermuda grass grown on its own sod farm.
A three-day planting period will be followed by stitching of artificial fibers into the pitch. The stadium already has a wider-than-normal field and will not require noticeable construction to the lower bowl. The venue must transition quickly from hosting the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix in May to seven soccer matches in June and July.
