PSG forced out of home stadium a few days before Ligue 1 opener

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FT Desk

Paris Saint-Germain will not be able to play their first Ligue 1 home match of the season at the Parc des Princes.

The reigning French champions and Champions League winners were scheduled to face Rennes at home on Sunday but the pitch has been deemed unplayable as heatwaves roasted Paris over the summer.

BBC Sport reports that "exceptional heatwaves" left their Parc des Princes pitch "severely damaged".

Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) officials said an inspection of the pitch "did not allow the match to be played under satisfactory conditions, particularly with regard to the safety and physical integrity of the players".

PSG said they "fully understand the inconvenience caused by this change" but said it was an "exceptional situation".

The club insisted that the pitch will be replaced before their next scheduled home fixture against Monaco on 4 September.

The fixture between PSG and Rennes on Sunday will be played at the latter's Roazhon Park instead.

Paris has experienced and continues to suffer from a series of roasting heatwaves this summer, with the worst conditions arriving in June and July. France’s first major heatwave ran from June 17 to 30, while a second lasted from July 4 to 19. The July spell was particularly notable for its length, with Paris recording 10 consecutive nights above 20°C between July 7 and 16.

The heat had a significant impact on daily life in the capital. The entire Île-de-France region was placed on the highest red heatwave alert from July 11 to 14, while health authorities reported increased emergency visits linked to heat-related conditions such as dehydration and hyperthermia.

Across France, the July heatwaves were also associated with 1,243 excess deaths between July 3 and 22, according to the outlet Sante Publique.

The wider picture was equally striking: July 2026 was France's hottest month on record, with an average temperature of 24.9°C.

The extreme heat, combined with severe dryness, also contributed to a major wildfire crisis across parts of the country.