FIFA World Cup: Organizers unveil pitch to be used during matches at AT&T Stadium

Pitch installed at AT&T Stadium for World Cup

Organizers unveiled the grass field to be used at AT&T Stadium for the duration of this summer's FIFA World Cup. FOX 4's Peyton Yager gives us a deeper look at how the grass was grown and installed.

ARLINGTON, Texas - With less than a month until the first game in North Texas, AT&T Stadium has installed the pitch to be used during this summer's World Cup.

Soccer field installed at AT&T Stadium

Media members were given the first look at the new field, or pitch, installed at AT&T Stadium.

The natural grass used for the field was grown in Colorado, and transported to North Texas through cooling trucks. Installation took place earlier this week.

To maintain the field's condition, the stadium is using pink grow lights, which will be raised into the air on match days.

Underneath the field is an irrigation system and a ventilation system to ensure maximum quality.

Because a soccer field is larger than a football field, several lower-level suites were temporarily removed during the field's installation.

AT&T Stadium provided an in-depth look at the field's installation on their X account.

What they're saying:

"We've never put in an effort like this before," said Tod Martin, the general manager of AT&T Stadium.

Martin said they visited Wembley Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in England to get an idea of how their pitch should look and feel.

"The amount of coordination and communication ... it's been a task, I will say that."

NFL players want grass fields too

Featured

article

Grass fields for FIFA World Cup have NFL players asking for same playing surfaces

NFL players see the proverbial green carpet being rolled out for soccer players at their own stadiums, and are wondering why they aren't receiving the same quality of playing surfaces.

Dig deeper:

NFL players are seeing the grass fields that soccer players are getting at NFL stadiums and wondering why they don't get the same. 

In an appearance on the ‘Not Just Football’ podcast, NFL Player's Association executive director JC Tretter said that 92% of the 1700 players polled said they would rather play on grass surfaces than turf.

"There is something about the feeling of being on grass, your body feels different," Tretter said. Currently, only 15 of the 30 NFL stadiums use grass fields. 

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in April he wants a turf field to be reinstalled at AT&T Stadium after the World Cup.

What's next:

The first game at AT&T Stadium, which will be called Dallas Stadium for the duration of the World Cup, will take place on June 14 between the Netherlands and Japan.