FIFA World Cup 2026: Making things 'pitch' perfect at Houston Stadium

HOUSTON - There is no World Cup, without a pitch to play on, and on Friday, we got an inside look at what is now known as Houston Stadium, formerly known as NRG Stadium. Crews are prepping and installing the grass, which is a mix of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial rye grass. 

Getting everything "pitch" perfect at Houston Stadium

The bid process to become a host city started nearly seven years ago, and it’s coming to fruition. On May 1, the Houston host committee took over the field inside of NRG Stadium. Now, they will take the next three-and-a-half weeks to grow and install a natural grass pitch to meet FIFA standards. Typically, that takes 12 to 13 weeks.

In the coming days, crews will complete a five-step process to build the pitch. The first layer is a Perma void, then a layer of geotextile, the irrigation system will be put in, followed by sand and the sod on plastic.

For the past 18 months, the sod has been growing in Denver, Colorado, and it will arrive in the coming days. Grow lights arrived in Houston on Friday after departing for the port of Rotterdam. These specialized lights are crucial in the growing and maintaining of the grass, before and during the tournament.

When everything is complete, FIFA will have a testing match in Houston during the second week of June to make a final approval of the pitch.