Behind the scenes, maintaining the pitch has become a round-the-clock operation. Moments after France’s 3-1 victory over Senegal on June 16, a large maintenance crew spread across the field. Workers inspected every section of the grass, smoothing damaged areas, aerating the surface, mowing sections of the pitch and carefully examining seams. Others appeared to measure grass length and record observations on clipboards, while coloured markers were placed along various sections of the field.
