How Science Is Changing World Cup Soccer Fields

FIFA is now using grass scientists to design pitches for the 2026 World Cup, treating soil and seed as serious planning, not an afterthought. A University of Tennessee team has written the rulebook for 16 venues across Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.—each facing different weather. Whether the research actually works under game pressure is an open question, but the shift shows how modern sports now depends on science.