Artificial vs natural grass in European stadiums
Of the 986 European stadiums in our dataset with a recorded pitch type, 75.9% use natural grass, 11.1% use a hybrid reinforced pitch and 13.1% are fully artificial. Artificial and hybrid surfaces are most common in colder northern climates and in lower divisions, where year-round playability matters more than top-flight regulations.
This map was prompted by a very Italian debate. After Andrea Cambiaso said he hadn't played on artificial turf since he was 17, and Cristian Chivu's Inter were knocked out of Europe by Bodø/Glimt, whose synthetic pitch and remarkable home record drew intense scrutiny, fans and pundits in Italy openly questioned whether UEFA should ban artificial surfaces in its competitions. So how unusual is Bodø/Glimt's pitch really? The data is clear: artificial turf is overwhelmingly a Scandinavian phenomenon, Norway, Finland and Sweden dominate the table below, driven by climate and year-round playability. An Italian club drawn against a Nordic side in Europe will almost certainly face it. Is the pitch a valid excuse, or just poor preparation? Explore every artificial-turf ground on the map and judge for yourself.
Pitch type is recorded from each stadium's Wikipedia infobox where available. Stadiums without a recorded surface are excluded from these percentages so the figures reflect only confirmed data. Use the map to see the surface of each individual ground.
| Country | Artificial % | Artificial | Hybrid | Grass | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | 83.3% | 10 | 0 | 2 | 12 |
| Norway | 64.7% | 11 | 2 | 4 | 17 |
| Kosovo | 55.6% | 5 | 0 | 4 | 9 |
| Northern Ireland | 53.8% | 7 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
| Iceland | 46.2% | 6 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| Sweden | 42.9% | 6 | 0 | 8 | 14 |
| Wales | 40.0% | 6 | 3 | 6 | 15 |
| Armenia | 37.5% | 3 | 0 | 5 | 8 |
| Estonia | 33.3% | 3 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
| Lithuania | 33.3% | 3 | 1 | 5 | 9 |
| Serbia | 31.2% | 5 | 8 | 3 | 16 |
| Russia | 29.4% | 10 | 1 | 23 | 34 |
| Latvia | 28.6% | 2 | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| Switzerland | 27.3% | 3 | 1 | 7 | 11 |
| Netherlands | 24.3% | 9 | 3 | 25 | 37 |
Data reflects the 2025/2026 season.