Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham took aim at the playing surfaces at the FIFA Club World Cup following a 3-1 win over Pachuca at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
Bellingham scored the opening goal and was named man of the match on Sunday as Madrid earned its first win of the tournament.
Bank of America Stadium is one of several at the Club World Cup that have installed a temporary grass playing surface over its artificial playing surface.
Madrid's first game was at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, which always uses natural grass. Either way, Bellingham said that he hasn't been impressed with the field conditions during his time in the United States.
"The pitches aren’t great at all. It holds the ball up," Bellingham said after the game. "The ball barely bounces. It’s tough on the knees as well. Hopefully it’s something that someone will look at, going into the World Cup next year.
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"It’s important we protect the players as well as giving the fans a great spectacle and giving them great games like today."
The Club World Cup is being used as a test run ahead of the World Cup next summer, which will be played at many of the same venues that are being used this summer.
One of those, MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, will host the final of both competitions and has recently seen a temporary grass surface installed over its artificial surface.
Borussia Dortmund defender Niklas Süle didn't seem impressed with MetLife Stadium's new pitch after his side's scoreless draw with Fluminense last week.
"The pitch was pretty terrible," Süle said. "The ball didn't even bounce properly."
Tournament organizers are scrambling for solutions after field conditions were heavily criticized at the Copa América last summer, and even blamed for several injuries.
"You're playing on a football field with laid grass that's all patchy, and it breaks up every step you take. It's frustrating," U.S. men's national team midfielder Weston McKennie said last year.
FIFA requires natural grass surfaces for its premier tournaments.