With so many Club World Cup games in such a short time, how is the Linc holding up? Its grounds chief tells us

Seven matches in a span of 12 days kept the grounds crew at Lincoln Financial Field busy. But what has the Club World Cup taught them about what's to come with the larger World Cup next year?

Tony Leonard, the Eagles' vice president of grounds, has worked with a team of more than 20 people to keep the field at Lincoln Financial Field in top shape for the Club World Cup. Read moreJose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

by Kerith Gabriel

Published June 30, 2025, 5:00 a.m. ET

Twelve days. Seven games. One field.

For nearly two weeks, Lincoln Financial Field has been one of the primary venues for the FIFA Club World Cup. With that comes an immense amount of work to keep the natural grass field in perfect condition as world-class teams compete for a share of a $1 billion prize.

It’s been a tall task for Eagles grounds crew chief Tony Leonard. The team’s vice president of grounds noted that with the assistance of more than 20 people in addition to the Union’s grounds team, the field has withstood intense heat, rain, sliding tackles and even flares. Now it gets a bit of a break before the Linc’s final match, a quarterfinal between Brazilian giants Palmeiras and English side Chelsea on Friday (8 p.m., DAZN).

Palmeiras booked a return trip to Philadelphia courtesy of a 1-0 win in extra time against fellow Brazilian club Botafogo in its round of 16 match on Saturday. As for Chelsea, it cruised to a 4-1 win against a 10-man Benfica side in Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium.

So, how did the field fare? Better than most, considering that a few players like Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham complained about the rough surfaces of many of the fields during their travel for the tournament.

But after Madrid’s final Group H game at the Linc against Red Bull Salzburg on Thursday, Bellingham’s teammate Aurelien Tchouaméni actually praised the conditions at the Linc after winning player of the match for his performance.

“It was great to have the fans with us, [but I have to say], the pitch was really good,” Tchouaméni said during postgame interviews. “Which makes it easier to win a player of the game.”

Assuredly, that was music to the ears of Leonard, who caught up with The Inquirer earlier this week to provide an update on the pitch, some insight into its management, and why flares aren’t his friend.

Q; After this stretch of matches and the topsy-turvy weather we’ve had in Philly, how’s the field holding up?

A: I think everything is going as planned. When you look at these systems and how they’re built and designed, it really is for the worst-case scenarios. Fortunately enough, with the vacuum ventilation system that we have below the pitch [which has been in the stadium since it was opened in 2003], that’s a key factor in being able to play these games in any kind of rain or elements.

Q: Philly had days that exceeded 100 degrees last week. How does the heat affect the pitch, and how do you combat it?

A: It really comes down to the grass. We had a decision to make: We can grow Bermuda grass, which is what we do for the NFL football season, but we can also do Kentucky bluegrass. My opinion was that I think Kentucky bluegrass is a better soccer surface and one that we’re accustomed to. From a maintenance standpoint to help condition the grass, it comes down to planning and timing the watering. That actually affects the speed of play, the speed of the ball and the surface where the ball can move the way that these players want it to move, whether that’s a 2 p.m. game or a 9 p.m. game.

Q: I’m sure you heard the sentiments from Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham about how the pitches in the tournament have underwhelmed. How often do you discuss maintenance plans and any pain points with other venues throughout the tournament?

A: Yeah, as NFL field managers, we do talk and get together as a group, but we also get together with FIFA, about twice a year every spring. We’ve actually been doing that for the last couple of years. To be able to do this tournament this spring and summer has been a great thing for us moving into 2026, because we’re going to learn a lot. And I think that’s what these other buildings are doing, too. They’re seeing things.

You know, it was a little bit of a compressed schedule from the announcement of this tournament to where we are, [so] I can only speak on behalf of what we do. We’ve also hosted a fair amount of events already this spring going into this which I think allowed us to really think about the science of how this is all going to work out. But again, this is all good practice and stuff for us to contend with before the World Cup next year.

Q: The fan fervor at the Linc has been incredible, but as a turf management guy, how cringy was it for you to see flares thrown onto the field you’re trying to manage?

A: It’s definitely been an exciting experience with those fan groups bringing in so much energy. However, yes, the flares did cause a little bit of damage, on the surface. But with the support of everybody, we were able to quickly get them off the field, and fortunately, it wasn’t too much damage. But no, it was definitely a little, uh, worrisome, especially with the amount of flares that were being thrown out there.

Q: The field gets a brief respite ahead of the final game on July 4. How good is it going to feel for you once this last match is done and the tournament has finally passed through your field?

A: Nah, this tournament has been great, but it is nice to have a little bit of a break and a little bit of a window, since we’ve been doing just about every other day, right? But right after this, we’re already looking forward to next year. We’ve actually already laid it out on a calendar and are taking much of what we’ve heard from teams, fans, and FIFA into our planning. It was good to have so many matches this year, because we have a little more insight into what to expect.