The same field players and coaches have complained about all tournament is now a $450 collectible. FIFA is selling segments of the grass used for the July 19 World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, preserved in acrylic and shipped in a "premium hinged shoulder box with striking spot UV detailing."
That's the actual sales copy. For turf that has attracted genuine criticism from the people who had to play on it.
What $450 gets you
Each piece comes sealed in acrylic with a USB keepsake — FIFA describes it as containing "an authenticity film" — and is listed as 17.5 x 17.5 x 17.5 in dimensions. Inches, centimetres, or millimetres? FIFA's store doesn't say. They didn't respond to a request for clarification either, which feels on-brand.
Orders won't ship until after the final. Delivery is limited to US and European addresses.
The turf collectible sits comfortably alongside FIFA's other World Cup final pricing. Regular tickets are going for up to $32,970. Hospitality packages — food and drinks included — are listed at $34,500 and $32,500. So by that scale, $450 for a lump of grass is practically a bargain.
The irony of the pitch
MetLife Stadium normally runs an artificial surface for New York Giants and Jets NFL games. A temporary grass pitch was installed for the tournament, and it has not gone down well — multiple players and coaches have gone on record about the quality of the surface throughout the competition.
That's the part worth sitting with. FIFA is monetising a piece of history from a pitch that, by many accounts, wasn't good enough to host the matches played on it. If you're the kind of collector who wants to own a fragment of a controversial decision preserved in acrylic, this is your moment.
"Own a genuine piece of football history," the website says. Whether that history reflects well on anyone involved is a separate question entirely.
