When we analyse the success of national teams at the FIFA World Cup, we rarely view it through the lens of architecture and the building materials market. However, if we combine macroeconomic data from the history of football with market reports on window and door joinery, we notice a surprising correlation: the global and European powerhouses in the production and use of roof windows (skylights) are mostly countries with a long-standing football tradition.
Europe accounts for nearly half (approx. 41–50%) of the global market for roof windows, which is due to climatic conditions and the prevalence of pitched roofs. It is European nations that have won the majority of World Cup titles.
Here is a factual overview of the countries where attic lighting goes hand in hand with lifting the World Cup.
1. Germany: Market leader and four-time World Champions
Germany is the undisputed leader in both statistics. The country’s national team has won the World Cup four times (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014) and has frequently finished on the lower steps of the podium.
- Facts about the window market: Germany is the largest market for roof windows in Europe. Some of the oldest companies in the industry originate from here. The market is driven by stringent energy efficiency standards and the huge popularity of converting attics into living space.
2. France: Massive attic conversions and 2 titles
Les Bleus are the World Champions of 1998 and 2018 (and runners-up in 2022). Their domestic market is crucial for the European joinery industry.
- Window market facts: In France, loft conversions (known as les combles) are a standard and extremely popular way of expanding living space, particularly in detached houses outside major urban areas. The country generates huge demand for roof windows and is home to many production facilities of global brands.
3. Italy: 4-time Champions in the thermal modernisation market
Although southern Italy is a land of flat roofs, the northern part of the country (e.g. Lombardy, Piedmont) is an Alpine and pre-Alpine region where pitched roofs predominate. Italy has won the World Cup four times (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006).
- Facts about the window market: Italy is a significant European market for roof windows, a sector currently being strongly driven by government subsidy schemes for the thermal modernisation of buildings. Well-known local manufacturers specialising in roof lighting also operate here.
4. England: Triumph in 1966 and the power of "Loft Conversions"
The English have won the World Cup only once (in 1966), but when it comes to installing roof windows in existing buildings, they are among the world’s very best.
- Facts about the window market: The specific nature of British housing – millions of terraced houses with unused attics – has meant that so-called ‘loft conversions’ have become a massive, multi-billion-pound industry there, relying largely on the installation of roof windows.
5. Poland: A global factory and World Cup bronze medallists
One cannot analyse the roof window market without mentioning Poland. Although our national team has never won the World Cup, its historical successes perfectly correspond to its market position.
Facts about the window market: Poland is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and exporters of roof windows. It is in Poland that the biggest players have set up their massive factories, and leading Polish manufacturers with a global reach are also thriving here. Over 25% of the European volume of window exports comes from Polish production lines.
World Cup success: The golden age of Polish football saw the team finish third at the World Cup on two occasions (1974 and 1982).
Although success on the football pitch depends on training and talent, market statistics reveal an amusing correlation. The European nations most keen to light their attics with roof windows have been shaping the history of the World Cup for decades.
(The only significant exception to this rule are the major countries of South America – Brazil and Argentina – where the specific climate and architectural characteristics do not require the widespread use of roof windows.)