FIFA selling small pieces of World Cup final pitch for $450-$3,000 each
FIFA is now selling small pieces of the New York New Jersey Stadium pitch, where the 2026 World Cup final will be played, on its official online store. Priced at $450, a note on the sales page tells buyers that the pieces of the pitch, which are encased in resin to preserve the grass, won’t ship until after the final, which will take place on July 19 at 3 p.m. ET, and can only be sent to buyers in the US, UK and Europe.
The acrylic casing will be inscribed with the 2026 World Cup logo, venue, date and the final score of the match. It’s accompanied by a USB bearing an “authenticity film.” The collectibles are manufactured by UK-based Keep Stub, which offers three additional versions on its own website, priced at $900, $1,200 and $3,000. Each of the four tiers are limited to 2,026 pieces, meaning that if they all sell out they will generate more than $11.2 million in revenue.
The packaging and additional items included with the pieces of the pitch change with each increase in price, but for the lower three tiers, the section of grass is just 2.5″ x 2.5″ x 2.5″, while the $3,000 “Hero Edition” includes a 3″ x 3″ x 3″ section, as well as a gold-etched metal souvenir ticket, a mini replica World Cup final ball and a crystal-cut glass World Cup trophy.
As reported by The Athletic’s Melanie Anzidei last month, the playing surface at New York New Jersey Stadium was sourced from a turf farm in North Carolina and installed in early May, but has been criticized by Brazil and France players as being dry and difficult to play on following matches in earlier rounds of the tournament.
This is just the latest pricey collectible being sold by FIFA for the tournament. In May, it rolled out limited-edition host city jerseys priced at $375 each, which are still available on FIFA’s website despite only 999 of each of the 16 jerseys being produced.
Selling pieces of notable playing surfaces has become more common in the sports collectibles world, though. Boise State University is selling its famous blue turf American football field in pieces ranging from $40 for a small swatch to $25,000 for a 400-square-foot sheet that comes with free professional installation in the buyer’s home. Major League Baseball sells small jars of dirt from the field used for Game 7 of the 2025 World Series for $50 each. Earlier this week, Sotheby’s auctioned off two four-foot by eight-foot sections of court used at Madison Square Garden for NBA Finals Games 3 and 4. They each sold for more than $100,000.
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