Irish company pitches in with playing surface for World Cup final

SIS Pitches was founded by Sligo man George Mullan and its pitch technology is used at nine of the 16 World Cup stadiums

SIS Pitches executive chairman George Mullan and some of his team at the Meadowlands Stadium where the 2026 World Cup final will be held.

An Irish company which developed the pitch surfaces at stadiums including Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Thomond Park will see its technology used in the playing surface for the World Cup final in the US.

SIS Pitches designs, constructs, and installs hybrid, synthetic, and natural sports pitches used in settings from schools to international football stadiums. It also offers aftercare and maintenance services. The company's grass hybrid playing surface will be on show for the World Cup final at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in New Jersey. 

The company was set up in 2001 by Sligo man George Mullan who is now chair of the global company. Its pitch technology was first used at a World Cup in Germany in 2006 and was also used in Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022.

The grass hybrid uses synthetic fibres stitched into the surface across the field to provide increased durability and enhanced root growth. This improves pitch recovery. 

“Seeing our technology present at nine of the 16 stadiums being used this summer is a huge moment for SIS Pitches and a reflection of the reputation it has around the globe," said SIS Pitches chair and founder Mullan. "For this tournament in particular, expert grounds teams and the best companies in the industry have come together across the stadium network to transform multi-use NFL and MLS venues into high-quality hybrid surfaces for the world’s best players.”

The spectacular Monterrey stadium, where the pitch was designed and constructed by SIS Pitches.

With each venue presenting a different challenge, including high temperatures and extreme rainfall, the challenge for SIS Pitches was to ensure playing surfaces remain consistent for the duration of the 39-day tournament.

The pitches used at the World Cup have differing needs. The Monterrey pitch in Mexico was designed and constructed in full by SIS Pitches’ team in 2025 and then maintained during CF Monterrey’s regular season. It features grass hybrid alongside the company’s undersoil heating and subsurface aeration systems. The aeration system uses vacuum drainage to minimise disruption in the event of extreme rain.

SIS Pitches has offices around the world in the UK, Netherlands, Turkey, the USA, and the Middle East.