According to an article by Tim Tucker in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, If Mercedes-Benz Stadium hosts World Cup matches in 8 years, as seems highly likely, a natural-grass playing surface will have to be installed for the occasion. The home stadium of the Falcons and Atlanta United has artificial turf because the decision was made during the design process that grass couldn’t thrive long-term under the retractable roof and heavy events schedule. But the turf would need to be temporarily replaced with real grass to meet FIFA requirements for the 2026 World Cup.
