The first-ever NFL game in Brazil kicked off on Friday night as the Green Bay Packers faced the Philadelphia Eagles , but both rosters struggled to deal with the inadequate turf.
A sell-out crowd filled Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo and the atmosphere matched the pregame hype, but the game got off to a difficult start as players struggled to stay on their feet . Eagles running back Saquon Barkley slipped on his first possession since joining the organization, and it wasn't long before members of the Philadelphia roster started changing cleats.
NFL sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung said during the first half: "I’m told the vast majority of players on both sides of the ball for the Eagles have reassessed." Both teams grew frustrated on the sidelines, with Packers head coach Matt LaFleur saying at halftime: "The turf is a problem for sure" and revealing his players also changed cleats.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was watching the action, and posted on X: "Man this field sucks!!!" His opinion matched most fans, with one adding: "This grass/turf that the Eagles and Packers are playing on is just awful.
"I really hope nobody gets hurt, and I really hope the game doesn’t come down to somebody slipping and falling. That’s not fair to us as football fans and it’s not fair to all the Brazilian fans as well."
Another angry fan wrote: "If teams are going to travel to a new country to play a football game the least the NFL can do is make sure the turf is good. It’s a slip-and-slide out there right now."
Corinthians Arena is a soccer stadium in Brazil, and former NFL star JJ Watt explained why the turf was so poor on Friday. "Soccer fields are made for speed and agility," he wrote on X. "Smaller bodies gliding across the surface with minimal contact.
"They are not properly conditioned to have the size and strength of NFL players cutting, pushing and driving all game on them. This is common at international games."
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Ironically, the plan was for both teams to feel at home as the stadium uses the same type of playing surface as both the Eagles and Packers. Corinthians Arena uses part grass and part turf, and both Lambeau Field (Packers) and Lincoln Financial Field (Eagles) are the two teams to use this hybrid surface in the NFL.
Although Barkley slipped on his first possession, he soon became the star of the show with a rushing and receiving touchdown in the first half to get his season off to the perfect start. His efforts were matched by Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed, who rushed for a 33-yard touchdown before combining with quarterback Jordan Love for his second score of the game.
Once the NFL leaves Brazil, the caretakers at Corinthians Arena will have a lot of work to do with a soccer game scheduled there on Sept. 11. Brazilian soccer team Corinthians host Juventude in the Copa do Brasil quarter-final, meaning the staff has four days to fix the turf.
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