With less than 150 days to go until the FIFA World Cup, Atlanta is accelerating preparations for the world’s biggest football tournament, starting with a major transformation of Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Adam Fullerton, Vice President of Stadium Operations, confirmed that crews will remove the existing artificial turf on January 31 to make way for a natural grass playing surface.

“Our playing surface is the biggest project that we have,” Fullerton said, adding that groundwork began two years ago, including collaboration with specialized growing labs to determine the most viable grass mixture. The new sod is being cultivated in Colorado and will feature a hybrid design with a synthetic component for added stability.

Atlanta United will play eight home matches on the new surface, while the U.S. Men’s National Team will host friendlies against Portugal and Belgium in March, providing an opportunity to test the grass ahead of FIFA matches in May.

In addition to the field, preparations include covering stadium branding in line with FIFA’s “clean site principle,” which requires 2,000 cover-ups inside and outside the venue, including the large Mercedes-Benz logo on the exterior.

Despite the upgrades, Fullerton emphasized that fan-friendly pricing will remain unchanged.

“Fan experience is part of our core values no matter what event comes through our doors,” he said.