Overview

• PSG manager Luis Enrique described Lumen Field’s patchy grass and hard surface as causing the ball to “bounce like a rabbit.”
• Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham warned that the uneven pitches are tough on players’ knees and disrupt ball control.
• Five Club World Cup stadiums, including Lumen Field, are on the schedule to host next year’s World Cup matches.
• Dortmund’s Niko Kovac likened some fields to “a sauna,” while Peru manager Jorge Fossati pointed to imported grass as a factor making surfaces harder.
• Players and coaches are calling on FIFA to improve watering routines and grass management at key US venues ahead of the World Cup.