Lumen Field turf draws criticism from international teams ahead of 2026 World Cup
Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique didn't hold back after the team's 2-0 Club World Cup match win against the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field Monday.
Although he praised the stadium and the Sounders, Enrique criticized the grass turf, saying it was different than the European fields his team is used to. Coaches and players in the international soccer tournament have commented on the turf in other U.S. host city stadiums, making the grass a focus point heading into next summer's much-larger World Cup.
"In Europe, the ball bounces almost like it were jumping around like a rabbit, and now it's not," Enrique said through a translator. "Of course they did water it, they did irrigate it during the halftime. For us, it's not a problem. We're not going to be using this as any type of excuse. ... This is something FIFA does need to bear in mind."
At Lumen, also home of the Seahawks, games are usually played on artificial turf, but international soccer governing body FIFA installed a grass-turf hybrid at the 11 U.S. stadiums for the Club World Cup. The temporary turf at Lumen came from Australian company HG Turf, grown by Moses Lake-based Desert Green Turf.
https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2025/06/27/lumen-field-club-world-cup-turf.html