Lionel Messi's Impact on MLS: Grassless Stadiums, All-Star Games, and Playmaker Predictions
Atlanta United FC, one of the five Major League Soccer clubs that plays on synthetic grass, has no plans to install natural grass when Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF visit Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Despite concerns about Messi's preference for playing on grass, MLS commissioner Don Garber expects the stadiums without real grass to temporarily install a layer of real grass on top of the artificial turf. The process of installing natural grass fields at venues of that size can cost around $600,000 to $900,000.