NFL Union Rips Owners Who ‘Roll Out The Green Carpet’ For World Cup

With a month remaining until the World Cup kicks off in NFL stadiums across the U.S., the NFL Players Association is reigniting its war on turf.

The NFLPA posted videos of executive director JC Tretter on its social media accounts on Monday criticizing NFL owners for providing grass in their stadiums for the World Cup.

“You look at FIFA, they’ll roll out the green carpet for soccer players,” Tretter said on a recent episode of Not Just Football with the Steelers’ Cam Heyward.

The union for NFL players has been vocal about its members’ preference for grass fields over the past few years. The union made similar claims about the World Cup last year as well as ahead of last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup.

FIFA requires grass for its competitions. The 16 venues across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada hosting the tournament this summer are starting to transform into their World Cup appearances—taking down branded signage and stadium names, and trotting in fresh grass.

NFL stadiums are split in half between natural and artificial surfaces. Of the 11 NFL stadiums serving as World Cup venues, four are grass and seven are turf. But all of them are getting new grass designed specifically for the tournament.

“NFL players have spent years advocating for safer, high-quality grass fields at their place of work, but when the World Cup is over, most of these stadiums will revert back to turf for the NFL season,” the NFLPA said in a statement attached to the videos. “Our players deserve workplaces that prioritize their preference, protect them against the weekly wear and tear of the game, and support their long-term health and performance.

Soccer players have also complained about the temporary grass when they play at NFL stadiums, including at the and last year’s . Organizers insist that the 2026 World Cup uses better technology, , than previous grass pitches used for international soccer tournaments in the U.S.