Why FIFA Spends Millions On World Cup Grass

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being played on some of the most heavily researched grass fields ever created. FIFA has spent millions of dollars working with turf scientists to engineer 16 stadium pitches across three countries and vastly different climates. We visited the University of Tennessee to see how robotic cleats, ball-launching machines, and stadium simulators helped prepare fields for the world's biggest sporting event. And we found out how World Cup grass is grown, tested, transported, and maintained before billions of viewers tune in.