Abnormal heat poses serious threat to French football — Footmercato

**Abnormal heat threatens French football – Footmercato report**

Climate change poses a direct threat to the organization of football matches in France. According to Footmercato, a study commissioned by the French Football Federation (FFF) and reviewed by L’Équipe shows that 93% of French clubs have had to postpone matches due to adverse weather conditions.

During the study, experts identified five main climate risks for football: extreme heat, drought, severe thunderstorms, winter precipitation and floods.

According to experts, the situation is expected to worsen by 2030. The abnormally hot temperatures will put more than 300,000 hours of training and training camps at risk, and an average of 112 days a year will see football pitches rendered unfit for use. In addition, almost a third of France's football pitches are currently located in areas at high risk of flooding. The use of artificial turf by clubs instead of natural surfaces will not fully solve the problem. Studies show that the temperature of such surfaces can be up to 30 degrees higher than the air temperature. That is, when the ambient temperature reaches 40 degrees, the artificial turf will heat up to more than 70 degrees, making it impossible to play football on it.

The projections for 2100 are even more alarming. According to studies, 86% of natural surfaces could suffer from drought for at least 80 days a year. In some regions, the vagaries of the weather make it impossible to play football matches normally for almost three months a year. Against the backdrop of these serious environmental threats, the French Football Federation has begun to take measures to adapt to the situation. The federation plans to present its new climate change strategy and updated protocols to the public in the second half of 2026.