The 2026 FIFA World Cup has reignited a familiar tension between NFL players and the league’s ownership class. For weeks, players have voiced frustration over a glaring double standard, as FIFA required all 16 host stadiums to install natural grass, yet most of those venues will return to synthetic turf once the NFL season begins.
Now, Los Angeles Rams safety Kam Curl has added another grievance, this one about access to the stadiums during the World Cup.
Kam Curl’s Complaint Reveals a Broader Rift Between NFL Players and Team Owners
Appearing on the “Up & Adams” show, Curl revealed that NFL players have to pay full price for World Cup tickets at SoFi Stadium, the building they call home for half the year, and he wasn’t happy about it.
Former Green Bay Packers’ legendary left tackle David Bakhtiari reacted to Curl’s complaint and sent a message to the rest of the players on X.
“Stand up and put action behind your words NFLPA Players,” Bakhtiari wrote. “The NFL dgf (don’t give a [expletive]) until you start messin with their 💰. We are just assets with a number.”
Bakhtiari has pushed for the grass surfaces to be used in all the stadiums since 2023, when he called out the NFL after Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles on MetLife Stadium’s synthetic turf.
BE THE GM OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM: PFN’s FREE NFL Mock Draft Simulator
“Congrats NFL. How many more players have to get hurt on ARTIFICIAL TURF??! You care more about soccer players than us,” Bakhtiari wrote on X in 2023. “You plan to remove all artificial turf for the World Cup coming up. So clearly it’s feasible. I’m sick of this… Do better!”
His latest message framed Curl’s complaint as part of a larger pattern in which players are treated simply as revenue generators without receiving sufficient benefits in return.
SIMULATE THE WORLD CUP: PFN’s FREE FIFA World Cup Simulator
Several NFL stadiums proved capable of installing natural grass for the World Cup, undermining the longstanding argument that maintaining it is infeasible. Owners prefer turf because it allows stadiums to host concerts and other events without damaging the surface.
Given the use of turf, team owners have always prioritized revenue over player safety, and the World Cup has just put the spotlight on it. Bakhtiari may no longer be playing, but his challenge to current players carries weight, as the next collective bargaining agreement is crucial to players’ safety.
Regarding the ticket question, the expectation of free access for NFL players was always going to be complicated. FIFA controls the World Cup’s ticketing infrastructure entirely, and even stadium owners must comply with FIFA’s operational standards to host matches.
Host cities don’t receive any of the ticket revenue, and free seats would require coordination between FIFA, venue operators, and the league, and none of those parties have an incentive to make it happen.
