SerpApi.Org
If you watched the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium and thought, I'd love to take a little bit of that field home, well, someone at FIFA had the same idea.
Just days after the tournament wrapped up, pieces of the natural grass pitch used for the World Cup final are officially on sale, giving fans the chance to own a tiny slice of soccer history—provided they're willing to shell out anywhere from $450 to $3,000.
The entry-level collectible costs $450 and contains a small fragment of the championship field, preserved in clear acrylic, complete with World Cup branding, the venue, the match date and the final score. Higher-priced editions include extras like commemorative tickets, replica match balls and, at the top end, a crystal-cut World Cup trophy replica. Each pricing tier is limited to 2,026 pieces (a nod to the tournament’s year). The collectibles are being produced by U.K. memorabilia company Keep Stub and are available to buyers in the U.S. and parts of Europe.
While soccer fans may see the souvenirs as the ultimate keepsake, the sale has become the latest flashpoint in New Jersey's increasingly public tug-of-war with FIFA.
Earlier this week, Governor Mikie Sherrill's office criticized the sale, arguing that New Jersey taxpayers helped foot the bill for the very field now being turned into collectibles. According to state documents, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority spent more than $13 million designing, installing and maintaining the temporary natural grass pitch that replaced MetLife Stadium's usual artificial turf for the tournament.
"As the Governor has said, New Jersey paid multiple millions for the total expense for the pitch at MetLife Stadium, so New Jersey taxpayers should share in any proceeds," Steve Sigmund, a spokesperson for Sherrill, told The Athletic.
The controversy intensified after some reports suggested that the collectibles would generate more than $11 million if every edition sold out. FIFA pushed back on those claims, saying the numbers were misleading.
According to FIFA, the program is actually led by the New York New Jersey Host Committee, with FIFA receiving less than five percent in royalties for licensing its branding. The organization also says only about five yards of the field—not the entire pitch—is being used for the collectibles. A host committee spokesperson also defended the initiative, citing the tournament's broader economic impact and noting that proceeds will be reinvested in regional programs and future initiatives.
The dispute is just the latest chapter in New Jersey's occasionally tense relationship with FIFA throughout the World Cup. State officials previously sparred with the governing body over sharply increased NJ Transit fares during the tournament and even pushed to have the venue officially branded "New Jersey New York Stadium" instead of FIFA's preferred "New York New Jersey Stadium."
So yes, you can now own a piece of the World Cup final field. Whether it's simply a unique collector's item or the world's most expensive lawn clipping depends on whom you ask.
