With the World Cup final set for Sunday, FIFA Senior Pitch Management Manager Alan Ferguson is “confident” that the grass at N.Y. N.J Stadium “is not going to be a talking point.” In fact, Ferguson -- the man tasked with overseeing pitch development, delivery and maintenance for all FIFA events -- “believes it is in excellent condition -- and that the risk FIFA took ahead of the tournament has paid off, largely due to the sun coming out.” The pitch was “heavily criticised early in the tournament,” with the likes of Brazil F Vinicius Junior and France MF Adrien Rabiot calling out the conditions. Ferguson “attributed the early teething issues ... to a calculated risk that saw ‘warm-season’ grass chosen over a ‘cooler-season’ surface, as used at other venues, to hopefully give it the longest shelf life due to it hosting the final.” The weather initially “wasn’t quite as warm as they’d anticipated,” but ultimately it warmed up and gave the grass “that final helping hand” (THE ATHLETIC, 7/17).
Meanwhile, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said that the state “intends to continue investigating FIFA’s ticketing practices following the culmination" of the World Cup this weekend. In May, the Attorneys General of New York and New Jersey launched an investigation into FIFA’s World Cup ticketing practices, and sent subpoenas to global soccer’s governing body “following a build-up to the competition dominated by fan frustration over its approach, pricing and transparency regarding ticket sales.” Davenport noted that the “largely full stadiums during the World Cup has not diminished her appetite to examine whether fans were misled or poorly treated by FIFA.” New Jersey and New York are not alone in investigating FIFA’s ticketing practices, as AGs from California and Texas have also opened investigations. Davenport said that “it is possible the states work together to establish the case against FIFA” (THE ATHLETIC, 7/17).
