The moon could host its first FOOTBALL match by 2035, scientists say

DAILY MAIL

Moonchester United! The moon could host its first competitive FOOTBALL match by 2035, scientists claim – but a game will look very different than here on Earth

• Institution of Engineering and Technology reveal what the match could look like
• It said the rules, kits and referees would be completely different to typical games
• Institution of Engineering and Technology reveal what the match could look like
• It said the rules, kits and referees would be completely different to typical games

It is the world’s most popular sport — but could football soon extend its reach to another planetary body?

That is exactly what scientists think.  

They believe the game could be played on the moon as early as 2035, even if it might look very different to a match here on Earth.  

Experts from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) have ripped up the rulebook and revealed a wild plan for what football on the lunar surface may look like — with 90-minute matches and traditional kits a thing of the past. 

Their vision would involve five-a-side games played in four 10-minute quarters, with 20-minute breaks between each to give players a rest.

WHAT WOULD LUNAR FOOTBALL LOOK LIKE?

THE GAME

– Five-a-side game and one hologram referee to provide space and avoid collisions

– Four 10-minute quarters with 20-minute intervals between each to refuel and repair equipment

– Red and yellow cards displayed virtually in players’ visors

THE PITCH

– Laser sintering can turn the lunar soil into an even surface that’s almost like concrete

– Boundaries can be marked out using black and white polymer

– Nets, closed sides and a roof should also be intact due to the lack of gravity

THE BALL

– Nearly twice the size of a terrestrial football which is strictly black and white to contrast with the lunar soil

– Spongey Next-Gen Aerogel core to give the ball compressibility to allow bouncing while not containing any air

THE KIT

– Slimmed down version of spacesuits from the Apollo mission

– These would have increased flexibility and in-built padding around the knees and elbows

– Cooling and heating systems would also be required to adjust to the lunar climate.

The scientists said shorts and studded boots would also have to be switched out for hefty Apollo-esque spacesuits too, with futuristic cooling features installed inside.

Not only that, but referees would more closely resemble the technological nature of VAR than traditional humans.

That’s because hologram referees would patrol the pitches as part of the vision, dishing out virtual red and yellow flags that can be displayed on a visor.

‘Scientists and engineers play vital roles in progressing the world around us and shaping the future, and this extends to advancing space exploration, which will require the ingenuity of as many young people as possible with the right skills in the future,’ said futurist Brian David Johnson.

‘With the upcoming 2025 Lunar mission set to make moon colonisation one step closer, it’s only a matter of time until we start to think about how we engineer aspects of our lives nowadays, such as hobbies and sports, for the moon in the future.’