American football club Cleveland Browns have confirmed that they will pursue a synthetic turf surface in their new stadium. Although the 2026 FIFA World Cup has proven it possible to have a grass surface even in domed venues, the Browns are ignoring these possible solutions, as well as the preferences voiced by players.
Excavation for the USD 2.6 billion venue began in March this year. The 67,500-seat stadium is scheduled for opening ahead of the 2029 NFL season.
While the Browns currently play on a natural turf surface, the club has opted to go for synthetic turf in their new venue, as the stadium will be fitted with a roof structure.
According to artist’s impressions, the roof will be made of translucent panels, thus allowing natural light to reach the surface. The only challenge left for the grounds team will be to maintain the temperature, the oxygen levels inside the venue, and the moisture levels in the soil.
Nevertheless, a decision has been made to go for synthetic turf. However, the club doesn’t want to rule out a switch to natural turf (at a later stage) yet.
FIFA proved differently
According to the club, the environment in the future stadium will not be conducive to natural turf. However, FIFA and the 2026 LOC proved differently when all World Cup matches were played on (reinforced) natural grass surfaces, irrespective of the game being hosted in open or domed structures.
The ability FIFA showed to have natural turf surfaces in indoor environments encouraged the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) to become even more vocal about the player preference of playing American football on a natural turf surface. It appears that both the successes of the FIFA World Cup and the preference of the players are falling on deaf ears in Cleveland.
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