"I don't know if I'd even call it a pitch," said Adrien Rabiot. That's a France international, at a World Cup, describing the surface at MetLife Stadium. FIFA's response? The grass is healthy and performing exactly as intended.
Someone here is badly mistaken.
The stadium — rebranded New York New Jersey Stadium for the tournament — has already hosted Brazil's 1-1 draw with Morocco on June 13 and France's 3-1 win over Senegal three days later. Six more games are coming, including the final on July 19. There is no backup plan. This pitch is it.
Players aren't hiding their frustration
Vinicius Junior was direct after Brazil's draw: "Because of the weather and the heat, the grass dries out quickly and the game ends up being very slow. We can't build up a rhythm." For a Brazil side built on exactly that — movement, tempo, vertical passing — a slow pitch is not a minor inconvenience. It fundamentally changes how they play, and not in their favour.
Didier Deschamps tried to be diplomatic, describing it as "a special surface" with a tight smile and a line about possible cement beneath the turf. Deschamps being diplomatic is usually a sign the situation is worse than it looks.
Rabiot didn't bother with the diplomacy. "It was hard and rigid," he said, adding that he hopes France find better pitches in their remaining games. That's a player essentially writing off the venue mid-tournament.
FIFA's response changes nothing on the ground
FIFA issued a lengthy statement praising their own five years of research, their turf management teams, their irrigation protocols. The key line: "Variations in the appearance of some surfaces do not necessarily reflect the quality, health or playability of the pitch."
In other words: it looks bad, but trust us.
That's a difficult sell when the players experiencing the surface — not watching it on television — are saying it disrupts rhythm and feels artificial. Senegal now return to this venue needing a result after dropping points in their Group I opener. They weren't thrilled the first time. Nothing FIFA has said will change that.
The final is still scheduled for MetLife on July 19. That's eight games total on a surface that France's midfielder wouldn't even call a pitch.
