From the penalty shootout night in Vancouver, looking at the next step of artificial turf in football
The final night of the 2026 USA-Canada-Mexico World Cup knockout stage was held at the BC Place in Vancouver. Switzerland and Colombia played to a draw for 120 minutes, with Colombia taking 15 shots and Switzerland only 7, with a possession rate of 53.4% versus 46.6%, but the real deciding factor was at the 12-yard line. In the penalty shootout, Colombia's second and fourth shooters hit the crossbar and were saved, while Switzerland eventually won 4-3, returning to the quarterfinals after 72 years. This was the only game in the 16-team stage of this World Cup that went to a penalty shootout.
It is worth noting that the BC Place is an artificial grass field on weekdays, and for the World Cup, natural grass was temporarily laid there. Among the 16 stadiums of this World Cup, 8 originally used artificial turf, including the MetLife Stadium, SoFi Stadium, and Lumen Field, which are NFL home stadiums. Before the game, the original artificial grass was removed and temporary natural grass was laid, and then it was replaced with artificial turf again after the game. This "reverse operation" during the tournament sparked considerable discussion: The natural grass at the MetLife Stadium was criticized by many players as "stiff and hard," with a texture similar to the artificial field; while the NFL Players' Union questioned why the World Cup could get natural grass, while its own players have been playing on artificial grass for years.
Behind the controversy, the technology of artificial turf is rapidly evolving. In May 2026, FIFA officially confirmed: As long as the non-filled artificial turf system meets the same sports performance requirements as other certified venues, it can be certified through the FIFA Quality Programme. The first product to obtain certification used a three-dimensional irregular cross-section grass filament and a non-glue-backed bottom structure, relying on the material's own rigidity and rebound to maintain the flatness of the field, completely eliminating the rubber particle filler, and cutting off the path of microplastic leakage at the source. The area of artificial turf laid in China has exceeded 250 million square meters, and the recycling and reuse of retired turf is becoming an issue that the industry must face. Looking to the future, filled artificial turf will not disappear, but the filler itself is transitioning from SBR rubber to organic materials such as cork, corn husk, etc. The two technical routes of non-filled and new fillers are advancing in parallel, pointing to the same goal: to make an artificial field kick out a real feeling close to natural grass, while not at the expense of the environment.
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