The NFL has moved the Los Angeles Rams’ Monday night showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs from Mexico City to LA due to the poor condition of the field at Azteca Stadium.

The league announced the extraordinary decision on Tuesday, six days before one of the most anticipated regular-season games of the year. In a news release, the league said it determined that the recently re-sodded field “does not meet NFL standards for playability and consistency, and will not meet those standards by next Monday.”

The Rams (9-1) will host the Chiefs (9-1) at the Coliseum instead, in a game that could be a rehearsal for the Super Bowl in 2019. The much-anticipated game is just the fifth meeting since 1970 between teams with one or fewer losses in Week 11 or later.

Giants beat 49ers in game played in unhealthy conditions due to wildfires Read more

The decision creates a huge range of logistical concerns for the teams, and for fans either based in or traveling to Mexico, and will disappoint thousands eager to see a marquee matchup in North America’s most populous city. But the league consulted with the players’ association and local officials before deciding it couldn’t risk the players’ health on a damaged field.

“The combination of a difficult rainy season and a heavy multi-event calendar of events at the stadium have resulted in significant damage to the field that presents unnecessary risks to player safety and makes it unsuitable to host an NFL game,” said Mark Waller, the NFL’s executive vice president of international.

“As a result, we have determined that moving the game is the right decision, and one that we needed to announce now in order to allow our teams and fans to make alternate arrangements.”

Azteca officials changed the playing surface from natural grass to a hybrid in May, but the turf hasn’t been ideal for several months. Concern about the field grew in recent days when aerial photos of the stadium showed serious damage to the grass, particularly on the end of the stadium recently used for a major concert.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest New England defeated Oakland 33-8 last November in the last NFL to be played in Mexico City. Photograph: Alfredo Estrella/AFP/Getty Images

Cruz Azul, the Liga MX soccer club that shares the stadium with Club América, played a game on the field last Saturday in noticeably poor conditions. Coach Pedro Caixinha expressed concern, and the NFL continued working with groundskeepers to improve the field.

The Rams are required to keep the Coliseum available as a backup in case of a problem with international games. They immediately announced plans for ticket sales starting Wednesday, with season ticket holders allowed to buy their own seats and up to four more.

The Rams also will give away thousands of seats to first responders and people affected by recent tragedies in Southern California. Deadly wildfires have ravaged several areas near the Rams’ training complex in Thousand Oaks for the past week, and 12 people were killed in a mass shooting in the town last Wednesday night.

The Azteca hosted the first NFL regular-season game ever held outside the US in 2005, when the Arizona Cardinals beat the San Francisco 49ers. The stadium has hosted several NFL exhibitions, and the Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans and New England Patriots all played regular-season games there over the past two seasons.

The Rams have played in the UK in each of the previous two seasons, facing Arizona and the New York Giants at Twickenham Stadium. The NFL games played in London created a turf controversy of their own, with Spurs and Manchester City playing a Premier League soccer game at Wembley just a day after Philadelphia’s win over Jacksonville in October.