MetLife Stadium: 2026 World Cup Final Stadium Slammed, Criticism Nothing New | OneFootball

The first FIFA Club World Cup match at MetLife Stadium yielded all too familiar criticisms of the playing surface in the ground. Notoriously one of the most disliked surfaces by NFL players, FIFA installed new turf yet results continue to garner criticism.

As is required by FIFA, the synthetic turf was replaced by natural grass for the Club World Cup and the upcoming World Cup in 2026. Palmeiras and Porto battled to a scoreless draw with players and coaches from both sides complaining about the surface.

“I think the pitch should have been watered a little more as the ball was a little slow which interferes with the pace of the game. It was both for ourselves and for Porto. As the game went on, it rained which made it roll a bit faster,” Palmerias's Estêvão said to The Athletic.

Porto's Ze Pedro followed up saying the surface could've been better while managers of both teams also added similar concerns. A worrying first impression given not only the stadium's history, but Emiliano Martínez and Lionel Scaloni's harsh criticism from Copa América last summer when Argentina played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

MetLife Stadium, home of the New York Jets and Giants, has been bashed consistently by NFL players given the stark amount of season-ending injuries that occurred on the artificial surface. Since 2020, 13 players have suffered notable injuries at the ground including Aaron Rodgers's infamous Achilles tear on Sept. 11, 2023.

The Club World Cup is meant to serve as a trial run for the World Cup as FIFA contemplates playing surfaces across the country. MetLife will host both finals and more games than any other U.S. stadium across both competitions. While it might play a part in this year's tournament, getting the surface correct given the varying summer conditions is imperative for 2026. The initial feelings of players and staff aren't a good sign.

Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira also commented on the seating layout given the stadium's size and attendance. “The issue is the stadium is huge,” he said. “Forty-six thousand is a big number but maybe they could have closed the third ring and placed everyone in the first and second (to bring it closer).. But with the amount of Palmeiras fans, it was like we were playing at home and this was a strength for Palmeiras.

“The stadium is too big but 46,000 is very good when people from Brazil and Portugal had to come and fly in and it’s not so easy to do that.”

Ferreira didn't comment on the ongoing ticket prices debate after FIFA continuously slashed costs for Inter Miami's opener against Al Ahly.