France midfielder Adrien Rabiot criticized the pitch quality at MetLife Stadium (MetLife Stadium, New York) following France's 3-1 victory against Senegal on Tuesday. Rabiot, 31, stated the surface felt "more like an artificial surface - quite hard and quite rigid," raising concerns about the temporary grass installation for a World Cup venue.
Rabiot's concerns echo observations from Brazil forward Vinicius Junior after Brazil's 1-1 draw with Morocco. Vinicius said: "In the second half, with the heat, the pitch dries out very quickly. The game becomes very sluggish and we can't get into our rhythm." France coach Didier Deschamps noted the pitch has a concrete base resulting in short grass fibers and inconsistent ball behavior depending on irrigation.
MetLife Stadium's underlying artificial surface carries a notorious reputation in American football, with numerous NFL players sustaining serious injuries on the surface - the so-called 'MetLife curse'. Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers tore his anterior cruciate ligament there in September. Eight temporary grass pitches have been installed across 16 World Cup host venues.
Pitch quality directly impacts match dynamics, ball behavior, and injury risk. MetLife will host England vs Panama (27 June), Senegal vs Norway (22 June), and the World Cup final (19 July), making surface conditions a potential factor in match outcomes and player injury betting markets.