Overview
- Citing reports from July 17–19, New Jersey officials publicly objected to tournament organizers offering numbered turf souvenirs and said the state may seek court action to secure a share of any revenue.
- Public records show the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority spent about $13.04 million to design, install and maintain the MetLife pitch to meet FIFA standards.
- FIFA and the New York–New Jersey Host Committee say the program is host-led, uses roughly five square yards of turf, and that FIFA would receive a nominal royalty under 5 percent while the host committee receives the larger share.
- Media calculations based on tiered limits of 2,026 pieces per version estimated total sales could top about $11 million, a figure organizers have disputed as inaccurate.
- The dispute has intensified wider complaints about World Cup commercialization, including record-high resale ticket prices and player criticism of the temporary pitch, and could prompt legal, fiscal or disclosure requirements on how host committees use event revenue.