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Wednesday, 9 July 2025

2026 World Cup Set to Be Most Climate-Harming in History, Scientists Warn


The 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is on track to become the most environmentally damaging tournament in the event’s history, according to a new report by Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR).

The upcoming edition will mark a major shift in format, expanding from 32 to 48 teams and stretching across three countries. That expansion brings with it a massive carbon footprint, with 40 additional matches and significant air travel between far-flung cities across North America.

While the host nations originally projected 3.6 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (CO2e) emissions in their bid — based on a 32-team model — SGR’s latest estimate pegs the real figure at over nine million tonnes. The analysis, conducted alongside the Environmental Defence Fund and the Sport for Climate Action Network, attributes the spike largely to increased intercontinental travel and the sheer scale of the tournament.

To put it in perspective, the emissions from the 2026 tournament would equal the annual output of approximately 6.5 million average British cars — more than any previous World Cup. It would also nearly double the emissions average of the last four tournaments and far surpass Qatar 2022, which recorded up to 5.25 million tonnes of CO₂e.

FIFA has not yet responded to the findings. The governing body previously claimed that the Qatar World Cup was the first “fully carbon-neutral” edition, though that claim was later challenged by a Swiss advertising regulator for lacking evidence.

FIFA has pledged to cut its emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net-zero by 2040 — goals that now appear harder to reach given the scale of the 2026 event.

In related news, FIFA has announced the opening of its second office in the United States, located in New York’s Trump Tower. This follows the establishment of its first US office in Miami last year, which houses its legal and tournament operations, including oversight of the Club World Cup and the 2026 World Cup.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has maintained a close relationship with former US President Donald Trump, appearing together at multiple public events.

“Fifa (is) a global organisation (and) to be global, you have to be local, you have to be everywhere, so we have to be in New York – not just for the Fifa Club World Cup this year and the Fifa World Cup next year – we have to be in New York as well when it comes to where our offices are based,” said Infantino.

“Thanks, of course, to President (Donald) Trump as well, who is a big fan of soccer, (together with) the whole family. (It is a) fact that we have received such a big support from the government and from the President with the White House Task Force for the Fifa Club World Cup (now) and for the Fifa World Cup next year.”

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