‘Enormous project’: Gillette Stadium outlines transition from turf to grass for World Cup
One day after hosting a friendly match between France and Brazil , Boston 25 was given a first-hand look at the natural grass field implemented for the FIFA World Cup. Friday morning, grounds crews at Gillette Stadium were mowing the sod and maintaining the pitch. Michigan State’s Trey Rogers, professor of turf grass management, was tasked with overseeing natural grass solutions for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The games this summer span three countries, 16 stadiums, and 3,100 miles. FIFA requires all to be natural grass and to meet certain playing standards. “This has been an enormous project,” said Rogers.
“One that we’re very proud to be a part of. ” ‘It looks like a proper soccer stadium’: Revs players excited about new grass field for World Cup He’s been overseeing operations with playing surfaces for these games since FIFA approached him in 2019. Looking at Gillette Stadium’s field Friday, he said, “This was sitting in a sod farm on a piece of plastic just a couple weeks ago.
Now, you turn around and look at it, and you’re like, ‘We’re playing on it! ’” He said the grass was harvested in New Jersey and shipped up to Foxboro in refrigerated trucks. Time-lapse video shared by Kraft Sports + Entertainment showed the 5-day process of crews laying that sod down piece by piece.
#WATCH : It’s been quite the process to return Gillette Stadium to natural grass for @FIFAWorldCup … Sod from NJ was put down right after the @Patriots left for SB LX. Grass is 9/10th inch — slightly longer than a golf course fairway. (Courtesy, @GilletteStadium ) @boston25 pic.