World Cup players credit Chiefs’ groundskeepers after rainy Holland-Tunisia match
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Heavy rain fell during the Netherlands’ 3-1 win over Tunisia at Kansas City Stadium.
- Jan Paul van Hecke said the rain didn't affect him and praised the pitch.
- Players praised the Chiefs' grounds crew for keeping the stadium pitch perfect.
Despite a dire forecast of thunderstorms for Thursday evening’s Netherlands-Tunisia World Cup match at Kansas City Stadium (aka Arrowhead), the game was never delayed.
A heavy rain did fall at times during Holland’s 3-1 win over Tunisia in the final Group F matchup for both teams.
But the pitch remained perfect.
Jan Paul van Hecke, a center-back who saw action on all parts of the pitch by both defending and scoring a goal, praised how the field held up — while also making a joke.
“The rain didn’t affect me at all. In Holland, to be fair, there’s also a lot of rain, so I’m used to it — and England also,” said van Hecke, who plays in the Premier League. “So, no, the pitch was good, the stadium was amazing. It’s unbelievable to play here.”
Van Hecke, who signed last week to play with Tottenham in England, wasn’t the only one to praise the field. Fellow goalscorer Brian Brobbey said the pitch was in good condition.
FIFA said earlier this month that it brought in a “proprietary” Bermuda mix specifically for games in Kansas City after the turf the Chiefs use was removed.
Managing the field was a challenge because seats, too, were removed. That was done to make room for the soccer pitch, which is bigger than an NFL field.
“We played the NFL season, we had to take that field out, we had to remove the bleachers in the north sideline and then bring that up to grade to have it consistent with the rest of the NFL sort of pitch,” Matt Kenny, Chiefs executive vice president and chief operations officer, said a few weeks ago.
“There’s some nuances with the way that the water flows and where the sort of peaks and valleys are.
“We did that this spring, and with respect to growing grass in, you see this grass lighting equipment out here (on the field at the time) to make sure that when we don’t have all the weather that is ideal, that the corners are taken care of as well. So the pitch is just about ready to go.”
There have been no issues with the field through three games. Thursday’s match was the first time there could’ve been a problem with inclement weather.
But Travis Hogan, the Chiefs’ director of turf management, and his team have worked with FIFA to keep the field in tip-top condition.
One fan praised Hogan on social media last week for how the field looked, writing: “Thank you! The boys have crushed it this week!”
Another asked about working with FIFA.
“They have high standards and we have every bit or even higher standards,” Hogan wrote. “It hasn’t been bad.”
Although they weren’t mentioned by name after the match, the Chiefs’ grounds crew impressed the players.
This story was originally published June 25, 2026 at 9:52 PM.
