NEW JERSEY OBJECTS TO FIFA SELLING METLIFE STADIUM PITCH

FIFA announced this week that it would sell pieces of the grass pitch from MetLife Stadium following the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, with prices ranging from $450 to $3,000 per piece. The organisation plans to offer grass sections in four price tiers, each limited to 2,026 pieces, potentially generating more than $11 million in revenue. The pitch will be removed after the tournament and replaced with artificial turf for the stadium's NFL tenants, the New York Giants and New York Jets.

New Jersey's governor's office has objected to FIFA profiting from the sale. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority spent $13.04 million in taxpayer dollars to upgrade MetLife Stadium's field to FIFA's standards, covering design work, field construction, and pitch maintenance. State Assemblyman Michael Inganamort said on Friday that "FIFA can't just sell off the football pitch without permission" and called for the governor to block the sale, potentially through seeking a restraining order. Governor Mikie Sherrill's office stated that New Jersey taxpayers should share in any proceeds from the pitch sale.

FIFA is offering four product tiers: standard pieces at $450, "Stadium Edition" at $900, "Legacy Edition" at $1,200, and "Hero Edition" at $3,000, which includes a larger grass section, gold-etched replica ticket and crystal-cut glass trophy. The dispute reflects disagreement over ownership rights to infrastructure paid for by public funds but operated under FIFA's competition standards.