"FIFA World Cup: Climate Is The Loser - Highest Impact Ever", 11 June 2026

...Researchers from Scientists for Global Responsibility, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and the sports initiative Cool Down estimate that the 2026 World Cup will be the “most polluting” ever, with greenhouse gas emissions of 9m tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, almost double the historical average. Most is from air travel with at least 7.7 million tons – worst case predictions are almost twice that at 13.7 million tons of CO2. Even the low figure is equivalent to the yearly emissions of almost two million cars or a small country. It is also more than double that of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar...

This time is even worse, mainly due to FIFA having chosen three host countries – the US, Canada and Mexico, with a total of 16 venues. This means massive travel, which accounts for about 85% of the Cup’s total emissions...

In previous World Cup tournaments, 32 teams participated. For the first time ever, now 48 teams compete, including first timers Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan. This means more travel and more matches...

North American World Cup locations are heavily affected by “wet bulb globe temperature”, putting players, referees, workers and fans at risk. An academic study shows that 14 out of 16 host cities are likely to experience temperatures that Fifpro has argued merits possible suspension of the match, while the “Pitches in Peril” report finds that 10 of 16 venues face a “very high risk” of extreme heat stress...

FIFA’s boss Infantino ”aimed” to make the 2022 World Cup carbon neutral, and at COP26 in Glasgow, he presented FIFA’s plans to halve its carbon emissions by 2030 and become net-zero by 2040...