As Europe Swelters, Grassroots Football Must Adapt to a Hotter Future
Last week, much of the UK experienced temperatures above 30C, and forecasters are warning that further heat is on the horizon. Across Europe, temperatures climbed even higher. Germany’s June temperature record was broken, reaching 40C for the first time, France introduced restrictions on public alcohol consumption to reduce pressure on hospitals, and authorities across Spain, Germany and the Czech Republic issued extreme heat warnings.
The timing was striking. As thousands of people gathered for London Climate Action Week to discuss building a more climate-resilient future, the impacts of climate change were unfolding outside the conference rooms.
And for grassroots football extreme heat poses numerous challenges, changing when, where and how people play.
More than just uncomfortable
When temperatures rise, sport becomes more than just simply unpleasant. Heat affects players, volunteers, coaches, officials and facilities alike.
For community clubs, extreme heat can lead to:
cancelled or shortened training sessions and matches;
reduced participation as people avoid exercising during the hottest parts of the day;
increased pressure on volunteers to manage player welfare;
damaged grass pitches through drought and heat stress; and
higher maintenance costs to keep facilities playable.
This week’s heatwave demonstrated how disruptive extreme temperatures can become. Schools across parts of southern England closed over safety concerns, while transport services experienced widespread disruption. Grassroots sport operates within these same communities and faces many of the same challenges.
Why exercising in the heat is different
Playing sports in hot weather places significant additional strain on the body.
During exercise, muscles generate heat. To prevent overheating, the body increases blood flow to the skin and produces sweat to cool itself, which creates competition for blood flow.
Blood that is directed towards the skin is no longer available to transport oxygen to working muscles. The result is earlier fatigue, reduced performance and greater cardiovascular strain as the heart works harder to meet competing demands.
If body temperature continues to rise unchecked, the consequences become far more serious. Heat exhaustion and exertional heatstroke are medical emergencies that can develop rapidly during intense physical activity.
These risks are becoming increasingly relevant as hot weather becomes more frequent across the UK.
Football is already adapting
The effects of extreme heat aren’t confined to grassroots sport.
At this summer’s World Cup in North America, players have been given additional hydration breaks around the 22nd minute of each half to help reduce heat stress during matches. While the policy has been controversial, it reflects a growing recognition that traditional approaches to managing fixtures may no longer be appropriate in a warming climate.
Elite football has greater resources to adapt. Medical teams, cooling technologies and flexible scheduling are increasingly available.
Grassroots clubs rarely have those options: many community teams train on open pitches with little natural shade. Volunteers often oversee player welfare without formal heat guidance, and clubs may lack access to drinking water stations, cooling facilities or alternative indoor venues.
With temperatures continuing to rise, the adaptation gap between elite and grassroots sport risks widening.
A new normal for the UK
Temperatures above 30C were once considered exceptional in June.
Between 1960 and 1999, the UK reached 30C in June only around three times per decade. Over the past ten years, however, 30C has been exceeded in nine out of ten years. During this week’s heatwave, England recorded 37.3C, setting a new June temperature record.
This is consistent with what climate science has been warning for decades: heatwaves are becoming more frequent, more intense and longer lasting.
United Nations climate change chief Simon Stiell said "Europe's savage heatwave has the fingerprints of the climate crisis all over it", and he has called for "a faster shift to renewables, protecting forests and boosting climate resilience".
For sport, that means planning for hotter conditions and embedding climate resilience into everyday decision-making.
Building climate-resilient community football
The good news is that many adaptations are practical and achievable, as outlined in Fields for the Future.
As part of our World Cup climate adaptation campaign we created a practical toolkit for community soccer in the USA. Produced in partnership with Count Us In, Earth FC, and the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the toolkit is designed to support community soccer organisations to understand how climate affects community soccer, identify local climate hazards, assess vulnerability, and take action.
Clubs can review kick-off times to avoid peak afternoon temperatures, improve access to shade and drinking water, introduce heat action plans, educate coaches on recognising heat illness and invest in more climate-resilient pitches and facilities over time.
By being informed about climate risks and preparing for the impacts, communities can continue to enjoy the physical, mental and social benefits of sport safely as our climate changes.