Adrien Rabiot Voices Concerns Over Pitch Quality at New York New Jersey Stadium Ahead of World Cup 2026
France midfielder Adrien Rabiot criticized the pitch at New York New Jersey Stadium, calling it hard and rigid, following France's victory over Senegal.
Adrien Rabiot, a midfielder for the French national team, has expressed his concerns regarding the playing surface at the New York New Jersey Stadium, which he described as resembling an artificial surface. This statement came after France's 3-1 victory against Senegal at the venue on Tuesday.
The stadium, known as MetLife Stadium, is home to the NFL teams the New York Giants and Jets and is scheduled to host England's final group game against Panama on June 27, as well as the World Cup final on July 19.
Rabiot, 31, played the entire match and contributed to the team's performance by assisting Bradley Barcola for France's second goal. However, he raised issues about the pitch quality, stating, 'The pitch... I don't even know if you can call it that. It felt more like an artificial surface - quite hard and quite rigid.'
His concerns align with those of Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior, who remarked on the dryness of the pitch following Brazil's 1-1 draw with Morocco in their opening match. Vinicius noted, 'In the second half, with the heat, the pitch dries out very quickly. The game becomes very sluggish and we can't get into our rhythm.'
MetLife Stadium has a capacity of 78,576 and has had a temporary grass pitch installed specifically for the World Cup, replacing its usual artificial surface. The artificial turf has been criticized for its poor reputation, having been linked to serious injuries among NFL players.
Notably, Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament on the field last September, highlighting the risks associated with the surface, often referred to as the 'MetLife curse.'
The upcoming match at the venue will feature Senegal facing Norway on June 22. In total, eight temporary grass pitches have been set up across 16 World Cup host venues, including Boston Stadium, where Scotland recently began their campaign with a 1-0 win over Haiti. Scotland is set to play their second Group C match at the same location against Morocco on Friday.
