The futsal and five's market - France (2025)

1.2 A two-speed global market

The global futsal market was estimated at $*** million in **** and is expected to grow at a CAGR of *.**% to ****.

Global futsal sales growth projections World, **** - ****, in $ millions Source: ****

Futsal gained popularity as a sport, first in South America, helped by national federations that were the first to structure with the creation in **** of the International Futsal Federation (***). by contrast, in the rest of the world, and particularly in Europe, despite countries' participation in international competitions, it wasn't until the introduction of paying complexes that the number of subscribers grew significantly.

Futsal practice varies from country to country: the USA and Canada were among the first to introduce futsal, but the sport has remained sporadic.conversely, in the UK and Scandinavian countries, futsal was introduced only very recently, but has developed rapidly. The only exceptions are Spain and Italy, which were among the first to introduce futsal in ****, the date of the first FIFA Futsal World Cup.

Three markets stand out in terms of the number of Futsal licensees:England,Italy and Japan. The English market is probably the one that has developed most rapidly since the ****s. This rapid development has resulted in significant growth in revenues generated by futsal ...

1.3 Consolidation in the French market

Introduced in France in the early ****s, *-a-side soccer currently has around * million regular players in France and * million practising players, a number that is constantly rising, in contrast to the number of FFF licensees, which has been falling since **** [***]. Union Sport & Cycle reports that the current market will be worth *** million euros by ****, marking an impressive growth of ***% in ten years.

growth in the size of the French futsal market France, **** - ****, in € millions Source: ****

After a period of prolonged closure due to the pandemic, which led to a drop in sales of almost **% in ****, futsal centers have returned to their pre-pandemic attendance levels. Growth of **% is even forecast for ****. Although the majority of customers are men between the ages of ** and **, **-**% are women. The company is also developing offers for children, including *-a-side soccer academies such as the Zidane Five Club.

This market provides employment for *,*** people. The majority of centers were established between **** and ****. However, with territorial coverage now fairly complete, the pace of new openings has slowed. Only two new openings are planned for ****. This situation has also been affected by the Covid-** pandemic.

originally focused on the Paris region by two companies, Urban Football in ...

1.4 A sector hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic

The alternating periods of confinement and deconfinement weighed heavily on the finances of futsal and five companies. Their complexes were closed between March and June, then again at the end of October.

The reopening between these two periods (***) will have enabled the sector to generate some revenue, but probably not enough to sustain it over the long term. The situation is made all the worse by the fact that players in the sector had organized and joined forces with gyms to protest against the recent closures. Industry professionals argue that sport has played only a very minor role in the second wave of coronavirus infections. What's more, many centers offer outdoor pitches for even greater health safety.

As a result, *-a-side soccer companies are having to adapt and restructure their business in an attempt to survive. Urban Soccer, the market leader, recently closed four complexes and fears it may have to close more. There is also a high risk for the company's *** employees, despite the short-time working measures available to them. [***]

The situation is made all the more delicate by the fact that March and April represent a traditionally busy period for the *-a-side soccer business. Urban Soccer and Le Five, ...

2.1 Growing demand and institutionalization

The growth experienced by the futsal market in France since the late ****s appears to be continuing to the present day, both in terms of the number of licensees and the number of complexes made available to enthusiasts. In the ****-**** season, the number of futsal licensees reached **,***, while it was **,*** in the ****-**** season, representing average annual growth of **% over the period[***]. In ****, the number of licensees will approach **,***, with an estimated **,*** by ****.

growth in the number of futsal licensees France, **** - ****, in number of members Source: ****

However, futsal is the leading school sport in France, with ***,*** UNSS (***) has declared the development of futsal and women's soccer to be its two top priorities. With this in mind, the FFF plans to invest **.* million euros in futsal development from **** to ****, of which *.* million will be allocated for the ****-**** season alone. This investment represents a major and unprecedented financial effort on the part of the Federation[***].

The proportion of female members remains a significant minority, with only *.**% female members in ****.

Distribution of licensees by gender France, ****, in number of licensees Source: ****

Women account for less than **% of licensees (***)[***]. According to the FFF, there are *,*** teams in France, and *,*** futsal pitches.

There ...

2.2 Most French people are interested in sport

The evolution of the number of French people taking part in sport showed an overall positive trend between **** and ****. In ****, around **% of French people took part in a sporting activity, a figure that fluctuated slightly over the years, reaching **% in **** and ****. However, in ****, a drop was recorded, with only **% of French people practicing sport, due to restrictions linked to the Covid-** pandemic. Despite this drop, the rate gradually rose again, peaking at **% in ****. This indicates a recovery and growth in interest in physical activity, with a clear upward trend in recent years, particularly between **** and ****.

Trend in the number of French people taking part in sport France, ****-****, number Source: ****

Sport occupies a special place in French people's lives. **% of French people say they are at least somewhat interested in sport.

are you interested in sport in general? France, ****, in Source: ****

This share is rising slightly, since it was **% in **** and **% in ****. **% of French people claim to have taken part in a physical activity or sport in the last ** months in ****. This demonstrates a high level of participation in sport and physical activity among the French population.

In the last ** months, have you taken part in any physical or sporting activity, ...

2.3 Athlete profile

On average,men have a higher sports participation rate than women, with **% for men versus **% for women in ****, before the Paris Olympic Games.

Sports participation rates by gender France, ****, in Source: ****

Young people have a higher sports participation rate than older generations. The **-** age group will even reach a sports participation rate of **% in ****. The other generations follow in chronological order, with the oldest having the lowest sports participation rate.

Sports participation rates by age group France, ****, in Source: ****

Even in the oldest age brackets, the rate of sport participation remains very high, with the **+ age group having a rate of **%. The CSP+ group is the most active in sport (***).

Sports participation rates by socio-professional class France, ****, in Source: ****

Depending on their standard of living, people with higher incomes also practise more sport (***).

Sports participation by standard of living France, ****-**** (***), % Source: ****

2.4 The French are satisfied with the sports facilities in their community, but are waiting for new facilities

Generally speaking, the French recognize the efforts made by their local authorities to develop sports facilities, although the satisfaction rate drops from **% to **% between **** and ****.

How do you rate your local authority's policy/efforts to develop and encourage the practice of sport? France, ****, in Source: ****

**% of French people said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their local authority's commitment to developing sporting activities. This rate remains constant, since it was already estimated at **% in ****. However, a feeling of obsolescence is making itself felt. Indeed, **% of French people consider the facilities in their commune to be aging or very aging.

Generally speaking, how would you rate the condition of the facilities in your commune? France, ****, in Source: ****

However, it is important to note that the feeling of dilapidation is clearly declining, since it was **% in ****.

**% of French people would like to see more facilities in their commune, particularly among the younger generation.

In your commune, which facilities would you like to have (***) for your sporting activities? France, ****, in Source: ****

**% of respondents say they would like more city stadiums and multi-sports pitches, which are essential for futsal.

Finally, it appears that sports facilities are a decisive criterion in the ...

3.1 One market, two leaders, multiple independents

In France, the futsal market is divided into three types of player:

the market's historical players, organized into chains of futsal complexes: UrbanSoccer and Le Five. These players were the first to expand their activities from ****, and were the first to undertake mergers from ****. Now in an internationalization phase, they offer the most personalized customer experience, supported by the gradual introduction of innovations on and off the pitch; challengers, such as Z*, Temple du Foot or MonClub *. Created more recently, these complexes play on the popularity of their founders or sponsors (***) and offer a different customer experience from UrbanSoccer or Five, such as the presence of an osteopath or adjustable inter-company competition formulas like MonClub * in Marseille; independents: with one or two complexes, they account for **% of the French offer and often provide low-cost rentals, with a reduced range of services, generally limited to organizing children's birthdays and inter-company tournaments.

As explained in *.*, the long-established market players UrbanSoccer and Le Five dominate the French futsal sector, with ** and ** centers respectively across France:

Source: ****

The region with the most centers is Île-de-France, with ** centers (***), followed by Grand-Est andAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes, with * and * centers respectively. Corsica has no centers belonging to either brand, although ...

3.2 Expensive infrastructure

Building a futsal complex requires a substantial investment in infrastructure. Indeed, according to Joseph Viéville, one of the co-founders of Le Five,a project costs between ***,*** and one million euros[***]. There are two possible solutions:

building a new complex: the minimum cost is estimated at one million euros[***] ; leasing and fitting out an existing space: the minimum cost is estimated at €***,***.

In the case of construction, the price will obviously depend on the size and location of the complex, bearing in mind that the average size is around *,*** m², to which must be added engineering and architectural costs.for rental purposes, the rent will also depend on the surface area rented (***) and the location.

in addition to these costs, there are personnel and operating expenses :

Open * days a week - ** hours a day for a total of ** hours a week: Hourly coverage of ** h by * staggered shifts at startup: * FTEs (***) from **am to *:**pm, and * FTEs from *:**pm to **:**am. Positions: bar/ cash desk + security/ housekeeping Weekly coverage: two weekend shifts equivalent to * FTEs + one site manager. Other expenses included in this example: Advertising: €**,***/year (***) maintenance/ water/ gas/ insurance: €*,***/month; Taxes: for the first two years, exemption from corporation tax ...

3.3 A denser, more extensive network

Initially set up in the Paris region (***), the opening of futsal complexes followed * phases:

opening in major cities and metropolises from ****-**** (***); opening in medium-sized towns and active, populated industrial zones from **** (***); internationalization from ****-**** with the opening of complexes in Belgium and Spain for UrbanSoccer, for example.

We also note a real disparity in the booking process.while UrbanSoccer and Five offer online booking, the independent resorts studied in the Marseille region, despite having an online site, only take bookings by e-mail, telephone or on site.

There are two reasons for this. Firstly, these are generally low-cost resorts, located on the outskirts of the city, catering to a local, budget-conscious clientele.firstly, these are generally low-cost resorts on the outskirts of town, catering to a local clientele of regulars who don't necessarily have the reflex to book online. Secondly, these infrastructures, generally recently created (***) do not have the resources to deploy an online rental and payment structure.

The development of online platforms and applications, as mentioned above, is designed to connect players to players and players to complexes, so as to inform them of the availability of pitches in real time.s of pitches in real time, whatever the size ...

4.1 Variable-geometry pricing

Three main criteria influence the price of an hour of futsal:

the location of the complex, with prices higher in urban areas, particularly in large cities and especially in Paris (***); number of players, as the hourly price per player for * vs. * pitches is generally lower; ancillary services (***), with hourly rates tending to follow the number of services offered.

Over and above these criteria which structure the hourly rate, the pricing of the main complexes identified in France and in the Marseilles region follows a similar pattern, depending in particular on two variables:

time slot: in order to increase the use of pitches at off-peak times of the day, all the complexes have for many years adopted a dual off-peak/peak pricing system. Off-peak hours are generally from the time the complex opens until *pm on weekdays, while full hours apply from *pm until closing time on weekdays, as well as on weekends and public holidays; subscription: more recently, in an effort to build loyalty, some local complexes with lower rental demand offer a **% to **% discount for subscribing players.

Subscription conditions vary from one complex to another. Free at UrbanSoccer with a minimum of * rentals per year, they are generally more restrictive ...

4.2 A growing range of services

The vast majority of complexes offer their customers at least four types of service:

pitch rental including futsal, but also potentially other activities (***); activities specially designed for companies, a cross-disciplinary offer that adds to pitch rental the possibility of organizing seminars over one or more days, personalized shirts and related services; activities specially designed for children, such as birthday parties, training courses in partnership with certain clubs, and even a club in **% of the complexes; tournaments, such as the UrbanSoccer Business Cup, or certain challenges at Five.

Among other ancillary activities, bar and restaurant services are now commonplace in chain resorts (***), and are expanding in independent resorts.

Among the main trends mentioned above, the introduction of technology into complexes is intensifying. Player performance monitoring (***) and independent complexes.

Finally, partnerships have a strategic dimension in smoothing annual revenues and ensuring the profitability of the complexes. Traditional **-a-side soccer partnerships (***). The MonClub *.* example shows that independent resorts now have a card to play in forging key partnerships previously reserved for market leaders. One example of possible partnerships is that between Le Five and Adidas via ProShops, small outlets selling sports equipment and clothing located in the complexes.

In ****, Le Five Group's Sales and ...

4.3 Diversifying activities, services and partnerships

Three clear trends have emerged since the consolidation phase that affected the market in ****. They refer to three main criteria: the number of activities, the services on offer, the full/recreational time slots and its variants (***):

internationalization is a trend in French resorts, which after consolidating are able to resiliently implement a model that can be deployed in Europe and the USA[***] ; the diversification of activities within complexes is one of the keys to continuing to increase the number of futsal players and attract more customers to the complexes. As Five is experimenting, a duo, trio or even quartet of activities within the same complex can broaden the range of formulas offered to customers by proposing new combinations of sports at different times. in this respect, sports such as climbing, which are very rarely offered in complexes, but are in great demand in urban areas, can be an opportunity for diversification. Beyond the size effect that can result from a merger or acquisition, broadening the range of services on offer is currently the most subtle way to differentiate, as Le Five has done to date with centers combining *-a-side soccer and padel or squash and basketball. Following on from the initiatives ...

5.1 Regulatory framework set by the FFF

In ****, the term "futsal" was registered at the initiative of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (***):

The playing surface, which must be between ** and ** meters long and between ** and ** meters wide; The ball must be between ** and ** centimetres in circumference and weigh between *** and *** grams; Number of players: * field players and * goalkeeper; Game time: * halves of ** minutes each; Number of referees: *; Accumulated fouls, which, when they exceed *, entitle the opposing team to a **-meter free kick, known as a "free-throw", for each additional foul.

5.2 Statutory framework

Futsal or Five practice centers welcome private individuals and provide them with sports facilities. They therefore fall into the category of multi-sports halls.

According to the French Ministry of Sport, these centers must comply with a number of laws and standards, including

Health regulations set up department by department(***) Fire safety rules and protocols mandatory for all non-residential buildings(***) General laws on infrastructure accessibility (***) Infrastructure safety rules, such as the safety of barriers around pitches, goal cages, etc.(***)

6. Segmentation

• UrbanSoccer
• Le Five
• Z5
• MonClub 2.0
• Foot Indoor Marseille
• Olympic Foot Indoor Marseille
• Evolution Football
• Massilia Five
• Big Foot
• Football Park
• Temple du Soccer
• Kelme
• Temple du Foot
• GO5 Foot Indoor