Ibrahim bin Mohammed from Riyadh

Sunday, July 12, 2026 9:34 | 2 minutes read

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has put unique and controversial souvenir products up for sale, consisting of real and documented pieces of grass and soil from MetLife Stadium in New York City, USA, the stadium hosting the final match of the 2026 World Cup.

This commercial initiative once again highlights the investment strategies of the international organization, as living grass blades have been turned into artifacts and luxury goods aimed at football fans and investors in rare sports memorabilia.

Fri, 10 2026

According to the official details announced by FIFA's store, these grass collectibles have been divided into several marketing categories to suit fans' varying financial capacities, although the minimum prices are astronomical compared to the nature of the product. Prices for these souvenirs start at 390 euros ($450) for a protective acrylic resin glass cube with modest dimensions of (6.5 cm x 6.5 cm x 6.5 cm) containing a small piece of grass.

In contrast, the price rises to 2,585 euros ($2,800) for the luxury version called the 'Champion' edition, which comes in a larger cube (7.62 cm) inside an elegant box bearing the official World Cup logo and the date of the final match, accompanied by miniature painted trophies including a replica of the World Cup trophy, a crystal cup, and the final match ball, in addition to a gold commemorative metal ticket and a digital certificate via a storage unit to ensure product authenticity and prevent counterfeiting.

To create a sense of rarity and commercial urgency, FIFA has set a production cap of only 2,026 copies per category, targeting collectors and speculators in the secondary market for sports memorabilia, who see these cubes as an investment that could multiply in value in the future based on the identity of the winning team and the scenario of the historic final match.

Fri, 10 2026

According to the French newspaper La Dépêche, this move has been met with a wave of criticism from fan associations and sports economists, who consider that FIFA no longer misses any opportunity to generate profits, contradicting its statutes that describe it as a 'non-profit organization' dedicated to developing the game. Critics say that the federation imposes record financial burdens on fans, starting from expensive match tickets and high-priced jerseys and caps, to selling 'stadium leftovers' that used to be disposed of or replanted after tournaments.

The French newspaper confirmed that this process is very clever, as instead of bearing the costs of removing and replacing the grass after the tournament, FIFA has turned this burden into a gold mine generating direct revenues estimated at $11 million. This step is part of FIFA's broader plan to achieve a record in total revenue for the 2026 World Cup cycle, which is expected to surpass $11 billion, benefiting from the new expansion of the tournament featuring 48 teams and the huge tax advantages FIFA receives from host countries.