For 10 days the Kennedyplatz in the center of Essen, Germany, became an international football stadium.
Everything worked out extremely well and the conditions were excellent from the first match to the last.
Unusual Setting
In Essen, that happened in an unusual setting: A temporary stadium built on a public square, right in the middle of the city. Ten days later, the stadium could disappear again. For those 10 days the pitch had to perform as if it had always been there.
Temporary Stadium
‘TENCATE’ stated that for the 2026 Socca World Cup a temporary stadium was constructed in the middle of the city. Forty-eight national teams from six continents came to Essen for 10 days of international small-sided football. Nussli Group built the grandstands, the front of house, the light towers, the raised walkways, and the substructure for the pitch, all in the middle of a working city center.
At the center of the stadium was a Pure PT™ playing surface supplied by TenCate and installed specifically for the event.
Kennedyplatz is a plaza in the German city of Essen. It was laid out on a previously densely-built site which had been destroyed in the Second World War. Today, the area serves as an inner-city event space.
The Socca World Cup is an international socca (mini-football) competition contested by the men’s national teams of the members of the International Socca Federation (ISF – an event organizer of small-sided football).
The Socca World Cup 2026 was an international six-a-side small-sided football tournament governed by the International Socca Federation (ISF). It was held from August 28th-September 6th, 2026 and was held at the Kennedyplatz in Essen, Germany.
The Pure PT™ (often referenced in installation projects as Pure PT™ surface) is a fourth-generation, non-infill artificial turf system developed by TenCate Grass in collaboration with the Centre for Turf Innovation. It is specifically engineered to replicate the functional playing characteristics and biomechanical feel of the high-quality natural grass without the need for loose performance infill (such as sand, rubber crumb, or microplastics).
The Pure PT™ is an infill-free turf system developed around the interaction between the player, the footwear and the surface. Its system design focuses on traction and controlled release during movement together with deformation and energy management. The objective is predictable interaction that supports the players as they move at speed.
TenCate is a global manufacturing group originating from the Netherlands that specializes in high-tech technical textiles, protective fabrics and synthetic turf systems.
Defined Event Schedule
‘TENCATE’ further stated that it was an unusual setting for a football pitch. Unlike a permanent sports facility everything had to come together within a defined event schedule. The stadium was temporary and so was the pitch, but from the moment the competition started, the playing surface had to meet the demands of international football.
Performance from the First Match
The small-sided football is fast and technical. The compact playing area means the players accelerate, brake, turn, and change direction frequently. The ball speed, bounce and roll are equally important to the way the game develops.
‘Secure Footing’
For Christoph Köchy, President of the International Socca Federation, the above was reflected in what happened on the pitch – “At this level of play the ball speed, the bounce and the roll, as well as control in fast situations, are critical. All of these aspects worked extremely well. The players had secure footing throughout and were able to execute cleanly, even at the highest speeds.”
‘Pop-up Stadium’
Marc Müller, Sporting Director of the International Socca Federation, pointed specifically to the temporary nature of the venue – “Throughout the entire tournament there was not a single piece of negative feedback about the turf. Quite the opposite. For a pop-up stadium that should not be taken for granted. In the past the temporary turf installations have not always performed optimally from a sporting perspective. This time, the conditions were excellent from the first match to the last.”
When Conditions Changed
During the tournament, significant amount of rainfall added another challenge. The pitch remained highly playable. The matches continued without restrictions and, according to the International Socca Federation, the players were still able to play the same fast, technical football.
‘Excellent Conditions’
Köchy described this as one of the aspects that impressed him most – “What impressed us most was the performance during the rain throughout the tournament week. The play continued without restrictions, with the same fast, attractive small-sided football. For a tournament at this level the conditions were excellent.”
Müller also saw the quality of the playing conditions reflected in the matches – “The players were able to play fast, technical football and, in my view, that contributed to the high quality of the matches and the number of goals scored during the World Championship.”
What a Temporary Venue asks of a Playing Surface
The project in Essen is an interesting example of something that can easily be overlooked when creating temporary sports venues. Temporary describes how long the venue exists. It does not describe what is expected from it. For 10 days this was a stadium for international football. The players needed consistent ball behavior and predictable interaction with the surface. The tournament schedule had to continue as planned. And when the weather changed the pitch still had to support the game. Those are the same questions that sit at the center of turf development at TenCate. The testing and measurement provide important information but the real value becomes visible when a surface is used by the athletes in actual playing conditions.
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