MSU turfgrass takes center stage at FIFA World Cup 2026

EAST LANSING, Mich. – The 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to be the most attended tournament in history. According to FIFA, global excitement surrounding the event is already brimming with more than 5 million fans expected to attend the tournament’s 104 matches in Canada, Mexico and the United States, with 6 billion more engaging with the newly expanded competition worldwide. This means that millions of people will see the results of Michigan State University’s world-class turfgrass research at play.

John “Trey” Rogers III, professor of turfgrass research in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, leads a team of researchers at MSU in collaboration with a team at the University of Tennessee to ensure the turfgrass is pitch-perfect for gameplay.

The start of the FIFA World Cup 2026 games is the culmination of over 70 years of turfgrass research excellence at MSU, which has led to the privilege of developing the amount of grass that was going to be necessary for all 16 stadiums. From identifying the turfgrass recipe of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass or Bermudagrass for each stadium to the installation and maintenance of the turfgrass throughout the tournament, Rogers and his team have been lending their expertise to support the sod farmers and stadium managers prepping for this highly anticipated competition.

Rogers said everything about this project has been enormous and intense.

“I think it’s safe to say that we’re breaking new ground,” said Rogers. “Nothing close to the number of stadiums, countries, the distances that the sod will travel and the number of stadiums that are not natural grass have ever been attempted for an international event like this.”

Natural turfgrass has already been installed in San Francisco, Boston and Philadelphia in the U.S.; Toronto, Canada; and Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara in Mexico. Over the next two months, the remaining cities will install turfgrass from sod farms — some of them located hours away — that will ship the turfgrass in refrigerated trucks to be game ready for the kickoff on June 11.

Leading up to this global event, MSU has launched its turfgrass website as an online one-stop resource for everything related to MSU’s renowned turfgrass research and education program, including showcasing the collaboration with FIFA and the University of Tennessee.

Key features of the website include:

• MSU’s turfgrass legacy — MSU’s turfgrass program is over 70 years old with over 2,000 alumni currently working in stadiums, fields and golf courses around the world.
• Research and impact — MSU’s past, present and future turfgrass research has changed the game and has established industry standards for growing turfgrass indoors and making it portable to travel to stadiums around the world.
• FIFA World Cup 26 grass facts — Quick facts and figures about MSU’s turfgrass in collaboration with FIFA and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
• Meet the expert biography — MSU’s team is led by John “Trey” Rogers, a world-renowned expert in turfgrass. Rogers and his team are leading the future of turfgrass research.
• Media kit — Find current assets including images and videos with complete captions and credit information from MSU.
• In the news — Read about MSU’s turfgrass program in print, online, TV, video and podcast media sources.
• MSU stories — Read stories created by MSU about the history and future of its turfgrass program.