FIFA has begun selling pieces of the turf that will be used for the July 19 championship match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with prices starting at $450 per segment.Even the field for the 2026 World Cup final is being turned into a commercial product.
According to FIFA’s online store, each entry-level piece of grass will be preserved inside an acrylic display case alongside a USB keepsake.
Marketed as a collectible way for fans to own a fragment of the championship playing surface. Buyers won’t receive their orders until after the final has been played.
The turf sale comes in several tiers, with higher-priced versions reaching as much as $3,000 and including additional items such as a miniature replica trophy and a golden ticket replica.
FIFA has capped each tier at just over 2,000 units, and shipping is currently limited to addresses in the United States and Europe, excluding fans in some countries whose national teams could still reach the final.
The move adds to mounting criticism of FIFA’s pricing strategy throughout this year’s tournament, with regular final tickets reportedly reaching close to $33,000 and hospitality packages priced even higher.
Industry estimates suggest the turf sales alone could generate more than $11 million for the governing body.
The pitch being sold was reportedly grown at a turf farm in North Carolina and specially installed at MetLife Stadium, which typically uses artificial turf for NFL games.
Players and coaches competing in this year’s tournament have previously raised concerns about the quality of the playing surface at the venue.
As anticipation builds for Sunday’s final, FIFA’s decision to monetize even the ground beneath players’ feet has become one more example of the commercial scale surrounding this year’s World Cup.
