Carlos Sartoretto, MX Pitch Cluster Manager FIFA World Cup 2026
It has been over a year since I last shared my experiences, and what a year it has been. I am honoured to be serving as Pitch Cluster Manager for Mexico at the FIFA World Cup 2026, overseeing three stadiums, five specific training sites, and six team base camps.
This tournament represents a significant challenge in scale and complexity. Across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, 16 stadiums will host 104 matches, supported by more than 2,000 training sessions across official and team facilities. Delivering consistent, world-class playing surfaces under these conditions is not simply an agronomic challenge, it is a logistical and operational one.
A New Era for Pitch Management
For the first time in FIFA World Cup history, pitch management has been established as a dedicated functional area within the organisation, with its own structure, planning framework, and budget.
The pitch delivery team includes strategic planners, stadium pitch managers, training site specialists, and monitoring teams. In total, more than 50 professionals are directly involved in pitch delivery, supported by local grounds crews, contractors, and suppliers across all host venues.
This evolution reflects a broader reality: pitch quality is no longer a background element. It is central to player performance, safety, and the global image of the tournament.
Defining the Mission
At its core, the pitch delivery program is guided by two key principles:
- Ensure the delivery of world-class playing surfaces across all match and training venues
- Execute all technical aspects in line with FIFA requirements, guaranteeing optimal conditions throughout the competition
Achieving this across multiple countries, climates, and stadium designs requires a highly coordinated and standardised approach.
Delivering Football on a Truly Global Stage
FIFA’s role extends beyond organising a tournament, it is about enabling football to be played at the highest standard, anywhere in the world.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup reflects this mission in its most ambitious form. By bringing together 16 stadiums across three countries, FIFA is reinforcing its commitment to making football truly global, ensuring consistency, quality, and accessibility regardless of location.
This is particularly evident in pitch management.
Through a unified strategy, FIFA ensures that:
- A match in Vancouver delivers the same performance standards as one in Mexico City
- A domed stadium in Atlanta meets the same expectations as an open venue in New York
- Training environments replicate match conditions across all team base camps
This level of consistency is the result of careful planning, shared expertise, and coordinated execution across regions. To achieve this consistency, FIFA has implemented a simplified and controlled turfgrass strategy based on two primary surface types:
Cool-season system
- Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis)
- Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne)
- Standardised blend: 84% KBG / 16% PRG
Warm-season system
- Hybrid Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon × transvaalensis)
This approach ensures that all pitches fall within a defined performance range for traction, ball roll, surface stability, and visual presentation regardless of geography.
Temporary vs Permanent Surfaces
A defining feature of this World Cup is the number of temporary natural grass installations.
Of the 16 stadiums:
- 8 are permanent natural grass venues
- 8 are temporary conversions from synthetic surfaces
Temporary installations introduce unique challenges. Turf must be grown off-site, often under different climatic conditions, before being harvested, transported, and installed within tight timelines. These systems are reinforced with synthetic fibers, either stitched or carpet-based, to ensure durability and stability.
The high proportion of Kentucky Bluegrass in cool-season systems plays a critical role here. Its rhizomatous growth habit provides the structural integrity required for sod production, transport, and rapid establishment under stadium conditions.
Stadium Pitch Strategy Overview
The table below summarises how these principles are applied across the 16 host stadiums:
Adapting Strategy to Stadium Constraints
While the framework is consistent, its implementation must adapt to each venue.
Examples include:
- Domed stadiums in warm climates requiring cool-season turf supported by advanced grow lighting systems
- Open stadiums in cooler regions utilising bermudagrass to maximise performance during summer conditions
- Widespread use of hybrid reinforcement systems to maintain surface stability under intensive use
These adaptations highlight the balance between standardisation and flexibility required at this level
The People Behind the System
Despite the scale and technical complexity, success ultimately depends on people.
FIFA’s approach emphasises collaboration across:
- Local venue teams
- International experts
- Turf producers and contractors
- Research and technical specialists
From my position in the Mexico cluster, this coordination translates into daily alignment between international standards and local execution: working closely with stadium teams, contractors, and agronomic specialists to ensure consistency at every level.
Roles such as Pitch Cluster Management serve to connect strategy with delivery ensuring that global objectives are effectively implemented at the local level. It has required extensive coordination and travel across Mexico (more than 70 flights to date), reflecting the level of detail and alignment necessary to deliver consistent outcomes.
The impact of this work extends beyond the competition itself. Each decision, whether related to turfgrass selection, construction methods, or maintenance practices, contributes to a broader legacy:
- Advancing turfgrass technology and knowledge
- Strengthening collaboration across the global turf industry
- Establishing new performance benchmarks for future events
In this sense, the FIFA World Cup becomes more than a tournament. It becomes a platform for innovation, learning, and the continued development of football infrastructure worldwide.
