As the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11, billions of football fans around the globe are preparing for a month of goals, drama, and unforgettable moments. Yet beyond the excitement surrounding the sport’s biggest tournament, environmental experts are raising concerns about what could become the most carbon-intensive World Cup in history.
For the first time, the tournament will be jointly hosted by three countries – the United States, Canada, and Mexico – and will feature an expanded format of 48 teams, up from 32 in previous editions. While the expansion promises more matches, greater global participation, and increased commercial opportunities, it is also expected to significantly increase the tournament’s environmental footprint.
According to estimates by global carbon accounting platform Greenly, the 2026 World Cup could generate approximately 8.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions – more than double the estimated emissions associated with the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
To put that figure into perspective, the projected emissions are roughly equivalent to the annual carbon output of 1.7 million passenger vehicles.
The enlarged tournament will be played across 16 cities spread throughout North America, requiring teams, officials, media personnel, and millions of supporters to travel vast distances between venues.
Environmental researchers say the geographical scale of the competition is the single biggest factor driving the projected increase in emissions.
Unlike previous tournaments hosted within relatively compact geographic areas, fans following their national teams in North America could find themselves crossing thousands of kilometres multiple times during the group stage alone.
England’s group-stage schedule illustrates the challenge. Matches are scheduled in Dallas, Boston, and New Jersey, requiring travel of more than 1,700 miles (2,735 kilometres) across the United States.
Researchers estimate that as much as 87 percent of the tournament’s total carbon footprint will come from travel-related activities, particularly air transportation.
Millions of international supporters are expected to fly into North America for the competition, while domestic flights between host cities are also likely to surge throughout the month-long event.
The expanded tournament format means more teams, more matches, and more supporters travelling across the continent than ever before.
Academics and climate campaigners argue that these factors could make the 2026 tournament the most polluting World Cup ever staged.
While aviation emissions often dominate discussions about sporting events and climate change, experts note that the digital infrastructure supporting modern football also carries a substantial environmental cost.
Broadcasting operations, streaming services, live data feeds, betting platforms, and social media engagement all require significant amounts of electricity to power data centres, telecommunications networks, and viewing devices.
According to the UK’s National Energy System Operator, individual group-stage matches involving England and Scotland could trigger an increase in national electricity demand of around 600 megawatts.
That level of additional power consumption is roughly equivalent to the combined electricity demand of the cities of Glasgow and Leeds.
As audiences increasingly consume sporting content through digital platforms, the energy demands associated with global broadcasting continue to rise.
The environmental concerns surrounding the 2026 World Cup come as FIFA faces growing scrutiny over its climate commitments.
At the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in 2021, football’s governing body pledged to reduce its carbon emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2040.
However, critics note that FIFA has not announced a specific emissions target for the 2026 World Cup itself.
Environmental groups argue that meaningful reductions will require more than carbon offset programmes and sustainability initiatives, calling instead for a broader rethink of tournament expansion and long-distance travel requirements.
Supporters of the expanded tournament argue that the World Cup’s growth reflects football’s increasing global reach and provides opportunities for more nations to participate on the sport’s biggest stage.
The 2026 competition will feature 104 matches, significantly more than previous editions, and is expected to generate record revenues for FIFA and host cities.
Yet the tournament also highlights a broader challenge facing international sport: how to balance commercial growth, global participation, and environmental sustainability in an era of increasing climate concerns.
As fans celebrate another World Cup, the tournament’s environmental footprint is likely to remain part of the conversation long after the final whistle is blown.
Source: Reuters
