The first FIFA Club World Cup match at MetLife Stadium yielded all too familiar criticisms of the playing surface in the ground. Notoriously one of the most disliked surfaces by NFL players, FIFA installed new turf yet results continue to garner criticism.
As is required by FIFA, the synthetic turf was replaced by natural grass for the Club World Cup and the upcoming World Cup in 2026. Palmeiras and Porto battled to a scoreless draw with players and coaches from both sides complaining about the surface.
