MEXICO CITY — Officials at Mexico’s famed Azteca Stadium say they will convert the field back to natural turf after a failed attempt at a hybrid playing surface led to the cancellation of a scheduled NFL game there last year.
In May 2018, the stadium switched to a field combining synthetic and natural grass, which has been used successfully in some of Europe’s biggest soccer venues. But it didn’t take at Azteca and was ragged after a heavy schedule of events in November leading up to the planned NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams.
NFL officials decided to move the game back to the U.S.
The NFL has scheduled another regular-season game at Azteca Stadium in 2019, with the Chiefs playing the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 18.
Stadium officials announced Monday they will use a break in Mexican soccer league play to put back in natural grass.