Zinedine Zidane, the coach of the French national football team, was interviewed by the French environmental news outlet Reporterre on Sunday, September 27, 2026, in Brussels. The interview took place at the King Baudouin Stadium, ahead of the Belgium-France match. Zidane was asked about the extreme heatwaves that affected both France and Kabylie, the region of his family's origin. He expressed sadness over the events that harmed families and hoped such catastrophes would not occur again. He emphasized his desire to continue focusing on the team's work. Zidane's father, Smaïl, is from the village of Aguemoune in the commune of Boukhelifa, in the wilaya of Béjaïa, a region heavily impacted by wildfires this summer. According to a report from the Algerian Ministry of the Interior, fires that broke out across several northern wilayas on August 26 led to 12 deaths, including four in Béjaïa, and injured many others. In Bordeaux, where Zidane played for four years, a large fire started in Saumos, in the Gironde department, and spread dangerously close to the city. The fire covered the area with a thick layer of fine particles, making the air difficult to breathe. It destroyed 42,000 hectares of land and forced 220,000 people to evacuate. Across the Mediterranean, where Zidane grew up in La Castellane, a neighborhood in northern Marseille, fires and droughts are part of a broader trend identified by climatologists. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) describes the region as a "hot spot" for global warming, where temperatures are rising faster than the global average. This has led to more severe droughts and water shortages, which are expected to worsen over time. A report titled Decarbonizing Sport by The Shift Project highlights the environmental impact of professional football, particularly the carbon emissions from travel. The report notes that international matches generate significantly more greenhouse gases than domestic games, mainly due to air travel by players and fans. It recommends adjusting the international sports calendar and reducing reliance on airplanes, a suggestion also linked to the physical and mental health concerns of athletes, such as former French international Raphael Varane. The French Football Federation admits on its website that travel is the main source of its carbon emissions and acknowledges that climate change is already affecting training and match scheduling, posing direct risks to the health of participants. The question from Reporterre was the last one asked at the press conference. The press attaché of the French team closed the session by saying, "Thoughts for them all. We talk about the game and there is a great match to play tomorrow."