England are facing fresh concerns over the pitch at the New York New Jersey Stadium ahead of their 2026 World Cup group-stage clash with Panama. Head coach Thomas Tuchel may be distracted by troubling reports from other teams regarding the playing surface.
Rabiot Voices Displeasure
France midfielder Adrien Rabiot criticized the grass turf after Les Bleus' 3-1 win against Senegal on Tuesday. He said: "The pitch... I don't even know if you can call it that. It felt more like an artificial surface - quite hard and quite rigid."
France manager Didier Deschamps also expressed concerns, describing it as a "special surface" and adding: "It's different. You need to get used to it, I guess. I think there might be some cement below the grass. You have very short shards of grass."
Brazil Star Adds Concerns
Brazil forward Vinicius Junior noted the pitch dried out quickly during their match against Morocco. "In the second half, with the heat, the pitch dries out very quickly," he said. "The game becomes very sluggish, and we can't get into our rhythm."
The stadium typically uses artificial turf for NFL teams New York Giants and New York Jets, but temporary grass has been installed for the World Cup. England are scheduled to play Panama there on Saturday, June 27.
England Injury Blow
England have already suffered an injury setback with Tino Livramento withdrawing due to a calf injury. Trevoh Chalobah has been called up as cover. However, once the tournament begins, no further replacements will be allowed.
Jude Bellingham and Reece James previously voiced concerns about playing surfaces during last summer's Club World Cup. Bellingham remarked: "The pitches aren't great at all. It holds up the ball, the ball barely bounces. It's tough on the knees as well."
James added: "It's difficult pitches, a difficult climate. The ball goes 100 feet in the air, and it bounces one metre up. It's not what we're used to. I feel you get a lot leggier, quicker, playing on pitches that are not so good."
