Historically, the ppitch has quite literally been different for the men's and women's World Cups. Men's World Cups are played on natural grass, but the women's tournaments have often been relegated to artificial turf. On the surface, it might seem like a simple cost-cutting measure (artificial turf is cheaper to maintain than grass), but the different turf can actually make a difference for the players. In 2015, some players filed a complaint on the grounds of gender discrimination with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario over that year's World Cup in Canada, though it was eventually withdrawn. The players attested that turf is less forgiving than natural grass and that it can impact play because of concerns over injury as well as ball handling.
In 2014, forward Alex Morgan explained some of the negative side effects of playing on artificial turf to USA Today, saying: "Not only are there long-lasting injuries, but there are long-term effects of playing on turf. The achiness, taking longer to recover than on natural grass, the tendons and ligaments are, for me at least, I feel more sore after turf. It takes longer to recover from a turf field than natural grass."
However, change is officially at hand as FIFA forbid artificial turf in 2019. The upcoming women's World Cup in 2023 will be the first played on a natural grass field.