England will play at the World Cup stadium that two players have already said is causing problems.
England might face a tricky time at the World Cup when they play Panama at a stadium some are calling ‘cursed.’ France’s Adrien Rabiot and Brazil’s Vinicius Junior have already talked about how rough the pitch is.
England will start their World Cup journey against Croatia at Dallas Stadium in Arlington on June 17, then play Ghana at Boston Stadium in Foxborough on June 23. Their last group game is against Panama at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey on June 27. This same stadium will also host the tournament final on July 19.
Eight matches will take place there during the tournament. So far, Brazil’s 1-1 draw with Morocco and France’s 3-1 win over Senegal happened at MetLife. But now, players are worried about the pitch conditions. Rabiot said after France’s game, “The pitch… I’m not even sure you can call it that. It felt hard and stiff, almost like artificial turf.”
Vinicius Jr. shared his thoughts too, after Brazil’s game. “In the second half, with the heat, the pitch dries out fast. The game slows down, and it’s hard to find our rhythm,” he said.
The stadium usually uses artificial turf for NFL games but had special grass put in for the World Cup. However, many NFL players have gotten serious injuries on this surface. For example, New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers tore his ACL there last September.
Because of all these injuries, fans have nicknamed it the ‘ACL Cemetery.’ Some famous NFL players, like Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas, got hurt there in the same game in 2020. Odell Beckham Jr. broke his ankle, and others like Jaelan Phillips and Aaron Rodgers suffered tears to their Achilles tendons at MetLife too.
England’s coach Thomas Tuchel will be hoping none of his star players like Harry Kane or Declan Rice get injured on this tricky pitch, as that could be a real nightmare for the team.
The next match at MetLife Stadium is on June 22, with Senegal playing Norway. Even with all the worries, NFL officials say the pitch isn’t to blame for injuries. Jeff Miller, the NFL’s top communications officer, said in 2025, “MetLife actually had one of the lowest injury rates in the league last year. The pitch is playing well and has been for a while.”