Saquon Barkley sees 'no reason why' NFL must keep turf fields after FIFA World Cup required grass surfaces

Saquon Barkley said he prefers grass over turf and thinks the NFL has no reason to keep artificial surfaces after the World Cup required grass.

Now that the World Cup has come and gone, NFL players may be more vocal now than ever about their preference to play on grass.

That's largely in part because out of the 11 World Cup venues in the United States, seven of them were NFL stadiums that use artificial turf — but FIFA regulations require a grass playing surface.

The NFLPA has, not so subtly, joked about rolling out the "green carpet" for soccer players this summer, and more recently, players started a social media movement saying that their safety is "#WorthTheCost."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs the ball against the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field on Oct. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia. (Getty Images)

But players, including Saquon Barkley, feel that a precedent has been set.

"I think it’s going to be hard for them to argue against that because if you’re able to do it for the World Cup, it doesn’t really make sense," Barkley told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.

Barkley did admit that he is "not as educated on it as I should be" and wants to do some more digging on the injury research between grass and turf, but he knows his own personal preference.

"I do prefer grass. I think the majority of players prefer grass. And I will say this - if the numbers show that playing on grass versus turf is better for us, then I think that’s more than enough," Barkley said.

Workers install the pitch at New York New Jersey Stadium ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on May 7, 2026. (Charly Triballeau/AFP)

FORMER NFL STAR