In the agricultural heartland of B.C.’s Fraser Valley grows 11,500 square-metres of immaculate sod: a precision blend of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass, chosen for its dense, carpetlike structure and tolerance of temperate climates.

In the coming weeks, this deep green field will be harvested and loaded into two dozen refrigerated trucks that will depart hourly for Vancouver. There, the sod will be installed at BC Place stadium, where it will form one of 16 playing fields for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Millions of dollars and years of research have gone into making sure this pitch meets the global soccer governing body’s exacting standards in what will be the most logistically complex and geographically dispersed tournament in World Cup history.

Every playing field must behave similarly – from how far a ball rolls on it to how much shock it absorbs under a player’s foot – regardless of whether that field is in coastal Vancouver, hot and humid Miami, or high up in Mexico City, 2,240 metres above sea level.

“People think, ‘Oh, it’s just grass. You’re bringing in some grass,’ ” said Tony Valente, a councillor for the City of North Vancouver and senior director of infrastructure and capital projects at BC Pavilion Corp., which owns and operates BC Place.

“This is not grass. This is an entire system of devices, of buildup. It is complex – far more complex than people realize.”

The Globe and Mail spoke with industry experts and technical specialists to get a behind-the-scenes look at how a World Cup pitch is built – and why growing grass is one of the most complex challenges for the world’s largest sporting event.