Safer playing surfaces for FIFA World Cup 2026? Backlash erupts as NFL stadiums switch to grass fields while American football players continue on artificial turf

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to take over North America, with the United States, Canada, and Mexico jointly hosting the tournament starting June 11. While excitement continues to build around the global event, a very different debate has erupted in the U.S. over what's happening inside NFL stadiums preparing to host matches.


Out of the 16 venues selected, 11 are NFL stadiums - and several are undergoing a major transformation, replacing artificial turf with natural grass to meet FIFA's playing standards. But that decision has triggered backlash from within American football itself.

To align with FIFA requirements, stadiums including MetLife Stadium, AT&T Stadium, SoFi Stadium, NRG Stadium, Lumen Field, Gillette Stadium, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium are converting their surfaces from artificial turf to natural grass.

The move is temporary but highly visible, especially as NFL players have long raised concerns about injury risks linked to synthetic surfaces.

For many within the league, the contrast between what is being done for soccer and what is typically allowed in American football stadiums has become a growing point of frustration.

Former NFL quarterback Chris Simms did not hold back during a segment on NBC's Pro Football Talk, sharply criticizing both the league and stadium owners for what he sees as a contradiction in priorities.

"It's actually embarrassing for the NFL," Simms said. "It's embarrassing for the owners. Again, it shows you know Europe caring about their people a little bit and their players. In America, we just care about the billionaires, to hell with everybody else in the civilization. We don't give a s**t, we're going to skew everything for them all the time. That's it, it's embarrassing."


"America's team's owner [Jerry Jones], who's always telling us about America and the great country, and that he's not going to help out the Americans who play the sport that's the biggest sport here, but we're going to bring it in so Ronaldo and Messi can feel good on it," Simms added. "Like, what the f**k are we doing? Like, it's so stupid, it's crazy, it's so hypocritical."

"All owners should be embarrassed that we're going to these lengths to help out a bunch of soccer players, where it's the fifth most popular sport in our country, but we're going to go bend over backward to help them, where [in] the most popular sport in our country by far… we're like, screw you players, go out and play on that shiy a surface, we don't care about your knees, your head, or anything else," Simms continued.

"It's all such bulls**t, the NFL should be embarrassed, the owners should be embarrassed."

The criticism also ties into a much older debate inside the league. NFL players have repeatedly argued that artificial turf increases injury risks and contributes to long-term wear and tear on the body compared to natural grass.


Despite those concerns, turf remains widely used across the league due to practicality, lower maintenance costs, and the ability to host multiple non-sporting events like concerts and large-scale entertainment shows without damaging a grass field.

For team owners managing billion-dollar stadium businesses, artificial turf often represents the most financially efficient option - even if players continue to question its safety implications.

While NFL stadiums continue to debate surface choices, examples from global football already offer alternative solutions. Real Madrid's renovated Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, reopened in 2023 after a €1.76 billion upgrade, features a retractable pitch system known as Hypogea.

The system divides the natural pitch into six massive trays weighing around 1,500 tonnes each, which are stored underground in a climate-controlled environment equipped with LED lighting, irrigation, and advanced grass care technology. The entire pitch can be shifted in under five hours.


This innovation allows the stadium to host concerts, NFL games, and football matches without compromising the quality of the playing surface.

Interestingly, the Cincinnati Bengals are scheduled to face the Atlanta Falcons at the Bernabéu, highlighting the NFL's growing international footprint.

However, as the World Cup approaches and stadium conversions continue across the U.S., the debate over player safety, surface quality, and financial priorities is only expected to intensify - with critics like Chris Simms keeping the pressure firmly on league leadership.