A stable podium, a shifting hierarchy behind
According to the FIP World Padel Report 2025, based on the National Federation Survey 2025, Spain remains the best-equipped country, with 17,300 courts. It is ahead of Italy (10,220) and Argentina (7,000). The top 5 is completed by Sweden (x4,220) and France (x4,000). FIP presents its 2025 report here.
This leadership is nothing new. In its 2024 report, the FIP already placed Spain at 16,000 courts, ahead of Italy (9,050), Argentina (7,000) and Sweden (4,200). At the time, France was still only at 2,150 courts, behind the Netherlands and Chile, which gives the measure of its recent acceleration. The FIP’s 2024 document remains a useful basis for measuring this progress.
Why this ranking counts for more than just volume
The number of courts is not just an indicator of popularity. It also reflects the depth of an ecosystem: available slots, club density, capacity to support training, amateur tournaments, academies and, eventually, events on the international calendar. At the start of 2024, Europe was already home to over 42,600 of the world’s 60,000 courts, some 70% of the total.
Spain dominates because padel has been around for a long time, with an exceptional network of clubs and facilities. Italy has changed scale in just a few years. Argentina remains a historic pillar of the game. Behind them, the picture is interesting: Sweden retains a very dense installed base despite a more mature market, while France confirms that it is no longer just a country with potential, but one that is building fast.
The signal is therefore clear, and it’s more an inference than a slogan: in padel, the countries that are getting ahead of the game are those that open courts even before demand reaches its ceiling. In fact, Playtomic and PwC forecast a global market of 70,000 courts by 2026, proving that the battle is still being waged first and foremost on infrastructure. The Global Padel Report 2025 takes a similar view.
