Ferdi Kadioglu of Turkey (left) and Jacob Italiano of Australia go toe to toe atop carefully created turfgrass during a June 13 World Cup match between in Vancouver, Canada. When John “Trey” Rogers III watches the 2026 World Cup, he’ll be paying closer attention to the grass than to the players crisscrossing it. “I always watch the grass before I watch the game,” said Rogers, a professor of turfgrass research at Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.