FIFA 'watching very closely' as England concerned over World Cup pitches - ex-PGMOL chief

Thomas Tuchel and England are powerless over the substandard quality of the pitches ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that, while the UEFA will be watching closely, there is little that can be done this close to the competition.

Alarm bells were triggered ahead of the Three Lions' friendly game against New Zealand on Saturday, 6 June, when images emerged of the pitch at the Raymond James Stadium.

Many supporters suggested that the likes of Harry Kane, John Stones and Morgan Rogers should have been rested to avoid injury, but Tuchel wanted to see his best players in action ahead of the competition.

England simply have to adapt to World Cup pitches

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former referee said: "All they can do is, post-match, make an objection. Pre-match, when they walk out, take a look at it.

"The one factor is that it’s the same for both teams. But it depends on your style of play. I can go back to the sixties, and we refereed on a ploughed field.

"I’d run alongside George Best on a ploughed field; his skillset was just like incredible.

"What we have now in the Premier League is football pitches that, you know, are good enough to play Crown Green bowling on. They're that good.

"And I think there's the difference. FIFA will be watching it. They'll have a ground committee, and they will be watching these things very closely.

"The teams have to adapt. We see pitches being watered liberally at half-time [in England], so the ball pings off the pitch. I don't think we'll see that in the World Cup."

Who could Thomas Tuchel hand a chance to vs Costa Rica?

The likes of Jordan Henderson, Jarell Quansah and Djed Spence were all given opportunities to impress, and the latter certainly took it when delivering the assist for the only goal of the game.

Elliot Anderson, Anthony Gordon and Nico O'Reilly will all be expected to start in the opening game against Croatia, which could see them rested against Costa Rica.

It seems far more likely that Rio Ngumoha and Alex Scott will get a run-out, despite not being in the World Cup squad, which some fans simply don't agree with.

Tuchel will want all of his biggest names available once the 2026 World Cup kicks off, so he has a big decision to make depending on the state of the pitch at the Inter&Co Stadium on 10 June, 2026.