FIFA have unveiled their latest World Cup cash grab with small pieces of the pitch at the New York New Jersey Stadium, where the final will be played, being sold online.
The Athletic reported that FIFA is selling that bits of grass are being sold to fans in the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe for US$450 ($647) a piece.
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Fans will receive their slice of the turf in an acrylic case that will be inscribed with the 2026 World Cup logo, venue, date and the score from the final.
There are three additional versions for sale priced at US$900 ($1,294), US$1,200 ($1,725) and US$3,000 ($4,314).
The bottom three tiers will all give fans a 2.5 inch (6.35cm) x 2.5 inch x 2.5 inch piece of turf.
While the US$3,000 “Hero Edition” includes a 3 inch (7.62cm) x 3 inch x 3 inch section of grass, plus a gold-etched metal souvenir ticket, a mini replica World Cup final ball and a crystal-cut glass World Cup trophy.
Each of the four tiers are limited to 2,026 pieces and if they all sell out, they will generate more than $11.2 million ($16.1m) in revenue.
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SOUTH AMERICANS’ NOD TO WORLD CUP SUPERSTAR
Droves of Peruvian football fans have named their newborns after Norway’s star striker Erling Haaland ahead of his team’s World Cup quarter-final against England, Peru’s identity registry said Friday.
Norway’s scoring machine Haaland has been coasting on a wave of popularity during the 2026 edition of the world’s biggest football extravaganza.
The sports sensation, who has scored seven times in four appearances so far in this World Cup, made both goals in his team’s historic victory against Brazil and has helped ensure their first-ever quarter-final appearance, against England on Saturday.
His fans in Peru have gone as far as naming their children after him, with 468 bearing the 25-year-old’s surname, according to the national identity registry.
Another 91 infants carry the full name Erling Haaland, it said. “Different football stars serve as inspiration for Peruvians to register their children with these names,” registry spokesperson Ivan Torres told Panamericana Television.
Most newborn Peruvians named after Haaland were registered in the weeks following the World Cup’s kick-off, Torre said, with numbers soaring when Norway advanced to the quarter-finals.
“Haaland is also Peruvian,” he said.
Football fever has inspired new parents in Peru in the past, with 3,402 people born in the country bearing the name Messi — 292 of whom bear Argentine star Lionel Messi’s full name.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo has 1,185 Peruvian namesakes, while 1,241 are called Yamal after Spain’s prized player Lamine Yamal.
A whopping 33,809 are named after Brazil’s Neymar.
France march into SEMIS | 02:06
ENGLAND TRIO PROVIDE BIG BOOST
England received a boost on the eve of their World Cup quarter-final against Norway after Declan Rice, Marc Guehi and Reece James all returned to training on Friday.
James has missed the last three games after picking up a hamstring injury, causing coach Thomas Tuchel a headache at right-back given his lack of other options in that position.
Chelsea captain James looks set to return to the starting line-up on Saturday with Jarell Quansah suspended after the red card he received in a memorable 3-2 win over Mexico in the last 16.
Guehi and Rice both played the full match in Mexico City.
However, they both missed training, alongside James, on Wednesday. Manchester City defender Guehi, who will come up against club teammate Erling Haaland if selected to face Norway, is attempting to recover from a hamstring strain.
Rice has also been nursing a hamstring problem and was affected by illness earlier in the week.
‘I GAVE HIM A BIG HUG’: INJURED STAR CONSOLES REPLACEMENT
Thibaut Courtois rallied behind Belgium substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens on Friday after the Manchester United stopper’s agonising late blunder gifted Spain a 2-1 victory in their World Cup quarter-final.
Real Madrid star Courtois exited the game in the 71st minute after complaining of a muscular problem, making way for 24-year-old understudy Lammens at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
But Lammens’ appearance off the bench ended in calamity, when he failed to deal with a long-range strike from Pau Cubarsi, and Mikel Merino pounced to blast in an 88th-minute winner for Spain.
Courtois, 34, who revealed to reporters that he had wanted to stay on the field before being subbed off, offered sympathy to Lammens.
“I gave him a big hug. He’s a great goalkeeper. You only get stronger from this,” Courtois said of his teammate.
“Eventually you cannot say much more to him or give him much more advice. He is a strong guy, strong personality. I’m sure he’ll be fine.
“You know, he will have some holidays and then regroup in Manchester and have a great season.”
Courtois meanwhile revealed he had felt pain in his right leg early in the second half after a clearance and had wanted to stay on the field before being hooked by Belgium manager Rudi Garcia.
“Obviously, I wanted to continue, but the coach wanted someone 100%,” Courtois said.
“I wanted to try to play maybe five or 10 minutes because I was feeling good. I was making saves, and I was not disturbed to make those saves.
“So that’s a decision of the coach, and that’s not a problem. “Obviously you’re not happy when you have to leave a quarter-final of a World Cup. But yeah, sometimes it is what it is. You can’t change it.” Belgium defender Brandon Mechele also expressed support for Lammens. “It’s a learning moment for him,” Mechelen said. “It was not the most easy ball. I think it bounces just in front of him. And we as defenders could have helped him by following up maybe more.
“So he needs to learn from this, and we as a group we have to be there for each other and help each other.”
TEEN SENSATION RESPONSES TO CRITICS
Lamine Yamal said if Spain wins the World Cup nobody will care about his failure to score, after the teen superstar was again absent from the scoresheet in his side’s 2-1 quarter-final win over Belgium on Friday.
At a tournament where stars like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane have been prolific, 18-year-old Yamal has just one goal to date, in a routine 4-0 group drubbing of Saudi Arabia.
“Obviously I want to score, but I don’t go onto the pitch thinking about that. I do it thinking about helping the team,” said Yamal.
“If we win the World Cup, no one will remember whether I scored goals… the important thing is winning,” said the Barcelona star, after the victory in Los Angeles set up a semi-final clash with France.
“I know I can contribute even if I don’t score. I know my movements draw in many opponents, so I do everything I can to help the team,” he said.
Then just 16, Yamal was the breakout star of the Spanish team that won the European Championships two years ago.
He only scored once during that victorious campaign — a stunning strike in a 2-1 semi-final win against France.
“There’s an idea that I should be scoring more, like at the Euros, but we won the Euros with me scoring just one goal. And I have one goal here too, so I’m relaxed about it,” he said, with a smile.
But Spain will be hoping Yamal, who turns 19 the day before the semi-final, can bag further goals if his side are to see off the free-scoring tournament favourites France.
“There are two possibilities — either they reach three consecutive World Cup finals, or we beat them three times in a row. We’ll see what happens,” said Yamal.
“We aren’t afraid at all.”