Players and fans have voiced their concern over the field at Neo Quimica Arena following the first NFL game in South America.

Last Friday, the Philadelphia Eagles hosted the Green Bay Packers at the stadium in Sao Paulo. The temporary move to Brazil is part of a drive by the NFL to have NFL games played in various countries to expand the fanbase.

However, the players from both sides appeared to struggle with the field. Especially during the first half, many slipped on the turf.

Former Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt explained on the social media platform X that, “Soccer fields are made for speed and agility. Smaller bodies gliding across the surface with minimal contact. They are not properly conditioned to have the size & strength of NFL players cutting, pushing and driving all game on them. This is common at international games,” he claimed.

While Watt’s statement makes logical sense, the surface at the Neo Quimica Arena is not much different from the one most American Football players prefer. Ever since the FIFA World Cup in 2014, the stadium in Sao Paolo has been fitted with a stitched hybrid surface. This solution is currently being advocated for by many NFL players. They believe natural or hybrid surfaces are much more forgiving in terms of preventing injuries.