$150,000,000 Global Superstar Gets Special Treatment on Issue That Plagued NFL Athletes for Years

Imagine being so influential that entire sports leagues change their playing fields just for a star. That’s the power of Lionel Messi, who recently joined Inter Miami in the MLS. Commissioner Don Garber expects teams with artificial turf to install grass surfaces for upcoming matches against Messi. But what’s the controversy?

While MLS is making changes for one player, NFL players have been complaining about artificial turf for years with no movement from the $150 billion NFL. On the other hand, the MLS commissioner wants teams with turf fields to use grass for Messi’s matches, who arrived in Miami a couple of days ago.

Grass surface for Miami’s richest Messi

According to sources, the final decision regarding Messi playing on turf will ultimately rest with the legendary Argentine player himself and Inter Miami’s head coach, Tata Martino. However, a report via Twitter reads: “One of the more interesting things about Lionel Messi’s MLS signing is that Commissioner Don Garber expects teams with artificial turf fields to install grass surfaces for upcoming matches against Messi. Yet NFL players have complained about this for years and still no movement.”

Interestingly, NFL players have been expressing their dissatisfaction with artificial turf fields for many years and have even launched a petition to ban its use in football following Odell Beckham Jr.’s injury during the Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022, in Inglewood, California.

Players argue that playing on turf increases the risk of injuries compared to playing on natural grass. However, despite these complaints, the NFL officially maintains the position that turf is not inferior to grass in terms of player safety.

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While the NFL has not taken any steps to replace artificial turf with natural grass, it appears that MLS is making efforts to accommodate Messi’s arrival by considering the installation of grass surfaces for matches involving him.

Grass reports and commitments from NFL and NFLPA

During a game at SoFi Stadium in 2022, Odell Beckham Jr. got his foot stuck in the turf. It’s suspected that he suffered another torn ACL, the same injury that prematurely ended his season in 2020. In response, NFL players initiated a Change.org petition urging the league to eliminate artificial turf and switch to natural grass.

Nick Bosa and George Kittle, notable San Francisco 49ers players, utilized Twitter to endorse the petition #FlipTheTurf, referring to Beckham’s injury as proof. They shared their own encounters, emphasizing that playing on turf puts all athletes in jeopardy and could have been prevented, based on Bosa’s unfortunate incident.

According to NFLPA data, playing on artificial turf is riskier than on natural grass. From 2012-2018, non-contact lower extremity injuries were 28% higher on turf, including 32% more knee injuries and 69% more foot/ankle injuries. However, in 2021 injury rates were almost the same. NFL, NFLPA aims to cut injuries on all surfaces; natural grass alone won’t solve this problem, per NFLPA’s experts.

In the end, the question is whether Messi’s impact will eventually become a weapon for NFL players or remain an unrealized dream.

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