For Bert Bos and the rest of his family behind Bos Sod Farms in Abbotsford, having people walk all over their hard work is something they look forward to.
This small family business has spent years supplying grass to facilities all over the Pacific Northwest, but was recently tapped on the shoulder to help out on the biggest stage in soccer.
Bos said the company was awarded the FIFA World Cup contract in February 2025 to supply the turf for all of the BC Place matches happening this summer.
After several months of prep work, Bos Sod Farms began the planting process in June 2025 and has created a nearly two-acre patch of thriving 22-millimetre hybrid turf that will soon be ready for transportation to the Vancouver stadium.
Even though the farm has been growing grass for golf courses and other facilities for more than 30 years, Bos said this project was one of the more challenging the family business has handled.
“It’s a very complicated process,” he said.
“There are moisture checks three times a day, nutrient checks almost every week, and soil analysis three or four times a year.”
In less than a month, the team will begin harvesting, transporting, and installing the sod at BC Place, which requires approximately 35 people and three days to complete.
And just like with every other part of the process, the precision required around this last major step is incredibly important, Bos said.
“You want to have the maturity just right where it’s just barely ready,” he said.
But even after the fresh sod is in BC Place, the work from Bos Sod Farms still won’t be over.
“We do the installation, and then we’re on standby for repairs,” said Bos.
The significance of the World Cup isn’t lost on Bos or his staff, who operate what he referred to as a still relatively small 165-acre family business.
“There are 104 games in the World Cup, and they expect six billion people to be watching,” said Bos.
“The amount of people that are seeing this means that if it goes off the rails, it would not be good. So there’s a lot of pressure and every aspect is super important.”
The World Cup takes place in Vancouver and multiple other North American cities, with the BC Place matches occurring between June 13 and July 7.
More details about the Vancouver portion of the 2026 World Cup can be found at vancouverfwc26.ca.