FIFA president visits UT, hails groundbreaking turf research for upcoming World Cups

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has praised the groundbreaking efforts at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s innovative turf research and development facility during a visit that highlighted the university’s pivotal role in preparing the best possible pitches for both the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 and FIFA World Cup 26.

Following the June 2022 announcement of host cities and venues for the FIFA World Cup 26, FIFA’s pitch management team launched a five-year research and development project with UT and Michigan State University. The initiative — now expanded to include the first-ever FIFA Club World Cup — aims to produce perfect playing surfaces, ensuring consistency and top performance for players regardless of climate or stadium type.

Infantino praised the efforts led by industry-leading expert John Sorochan, Distinguished Professor of Turfgrass Science and Management in UT’s Herbert College of Agriculture, and thanked university leadership for their support in bringing the project to fruition.

Quality of Pitches

Sorochan and Alan Ferguson, FIFA senior pitch management manager, gave a tour of various exterior and interior research stations at the UT Institute of Agriculture’s East Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center’s plant sciences unit. Infantino was impressed by the progressive use of technology that can benefit both player welfare and the spectacle of 167 matches across two global tournaments.

“The quality of the pitches is important for these two fantastic competitions in cities which all have different conditions — some are at sea level, some are at altitude, some are in domes and covered — so we want to make sure that the quality of the pitch is the same for all teams and all players in all cities,” Infantino told assembled media. “The quality of the surface, the grass, has always been of paramount importance to me.

“With our internal team at FIFA we have always been exploring ways to do things better, especially when you have a tournament that is lasting one month (or) a month and a half and is played in different cities. Our team investigated and found the best people in the world to help us, and it’s fair to say that with Alan Ferguson we had this vision and joined forces to do something where the focus is the World Cup and the Club World Cup but from which the whole world will benefit.”

Infantino was joined on the tour of the research facilities by Carlos Cordeiro, senior adviser; Manolo Zubiria, chief tournament officer USA for FIFA World Cup 26; and Romy Gai, chief business officer.

Importance of Consistency

Previous visits by FIFA delegations to UT and MSU occurred last year. In April 2024, UT hosted the inaugural FIFA Pitch Research Field Day, the first official get-together of pitch managers from all 16 host city stadiums and training sites. Representatives from FIFA member associations, confederations, leagues, clubs and industry suppliers were present as more than 200 turf specialists discussed the challenges and opportunities for the project. In October 2024, MSU hosted the second FIFA Pitch Research Field Day where more than 40 specialized pitch managers and industry leaders discussed best practices, industry innovations and pilot program results.

Sorochan said FIFA’s support of cutting-edge research at UT and MSU will hopefully revolutionize the sports turf industry and leave a lasting legacy long after the FIFA World Cup has concluded.

“The focus is on consistency and uniformity,” said Sorochan. “For 104 matches across 16 stadiums — including five indoors — at different altitudes, in different countries and on two types of grass, the goal is to make them play the same. So when an athlete is running and cutting — whether in Miami, Mexico City or Vancouver — they shouldn’t feel any difference underfoot. Likewise, when the ball strikes the surface and reaches them, it should behave consistently. That has been my vision and goal from the beginning. This is where FIFA has been incredible, investing in research and using evidence-based data to achieve the highest-quality pitch possible.”

FIFA Club World Cup 2025 and FIFA World Cup 26

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will mark a significant milestone as it will be the first to feature an expanded format with 32 teams, including the winners of the four previous continental championships. The event is scheduled to take place in the United States from June 14 to July 13.

The FIFA World Cup 26 competition will take place in June and July 2026, with 48 teams playing across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States. The competition will stretch across four time zones and three climatic zones and conclude at the final in New York-New Jersey on July 19, 2026.