3 min readAug 20, 2026 04:42 PM IST
Defending Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint Germain’s (PSG) season opener against Stade Rennais, which was set to take place in their home ground of Parc des Princes was shifted to Roazhon Park, their opponents home due to damage to the champion’s pitch following a heatwave this summer.
“The latest heatwave, following a series of successive and exceptional heatwaves that have affected the Paris region this summer, has significantly accelerated the deterioration of the pitch at the Parc des Princes. The pitch is now severely damaged, just days before the Paris Saint-Germain – Stade Rennais match scheduled for Sunday, August 23 at 8:45 p.m. as part of the first matchday of Ligue 1,” the club said in a statement.
PSG said its pitch at Parc des Princes had deteriorated so much “that the current conditions did not allow the match to be held under satisfactory circumstances, particularly with regard to the safety and physical well-being of the players.”
ℹ️ Decision of the Competitions Commission regarding the Paris Saint-Germain – Stade Rennais match on Sunday, August 23.https://t.co/sOc0kugyqM
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) August 19, 2026
The change of venue has been decided “in agreement” with Rennes, PSG said, and thanked its opponent for “making the match possible.” “Paris Saint-Germain fully understands the inconvenience caused by this change for its supporters and all those who had planned to attend this match at the Parc des Princes,” PSG added, saying “the club regrets this exceptional situation.”
PSG said it had “identified a solution for replacing the pitch at the Parc des Princes for the upcoming matches,” starting with its next home game in Ligue 1 against Monaco on Sept. 4.
“In parallel, Paris Saint-Germain teams have already identified a solution to replace the pitch at the Parc des Princes ahead of the upcoming matches, beginning with the home fixture against AS Monaco on September 4, 2026, as part of the third matchday of Ligue 1,” it added in a statement.
PSG are the current French champions as well as the holders of the Champions League, winning the title for a second straight year after defeating Arsenal in the final earlier this year.
