The NFL Players Association is firing back at league owners, accusing them of giving soccer players the "green carpet treatment" while leaving their own athletes to play on turf.

With just one month to go before the World Cup kicks off in NFL stadiums across the United States, the NFLPA has reignited its long-running battle over playing surfaces. In a series of videos posted Monday, new executive director JC Tretter called out owners for installing natural grass for the international tournament—a surface players have been demanding for years.

"You look at FIFA, they'll roll out the green carpet for soccer players," Tretter said on a recent episode of Not Just Football with Steelers star Cam Heyward. The message was clear: if grass is good enough for the World Cup, why isn't it good enough for the NFL season?

The union has been vocal about its members' preference for grass over artificial turf, citing concerns about player safety and long-term health. This isn't the first time the NFLPA has called out the double standard—similar claims were made ahead of last year's FIFA Club World Cup and will likely continue as the 2026 tournament approaches.

FIFA requires natural grass for all its competitions, and the 16 host venues across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada are already transforming their stadiums. That means tearing down branded signage, swapping out stadium names, and rolling in fresh sod. Of the 11 NFL stadiums serving as World Cup venues, only four currently have natural grass fields—the other seven are turf. But all of them will get brand-new grass designed specifically for the tournament.

"NFL players have spent years advocating for safer, high-quality grass fields at their place of work, but when the World Cup is over, most of these stadiums will revert back to turf for the NFL season," the NFLPA said in a statement. "Our players deserve workplaces that prioritize their preference, protect them against the weekly wear and tear of the game, and support their long-term health and performance."

Soccer players have also voiced complaints about temporary grass at NFL stadiums, including during the 2024 Copa América and last year's Club World Cup. But organizers insist the 2026 World Cup will be different, using advanced technology developed at Michigan State University to create pitches that are more stable and playable than previous attempts.

Late last year, the NFL introduced new field standards in an effort to address player concerns. But for the NFLPA, the message remains the same: if the grass is good enough for the World Cup, it's good enough for the NFL.