Next year, the world will once again pulse to the rhythm of roaring crowds and passionate chants. Yet behind the thunder of stadiums and the glitter of football stars lies a harsh reality: the 2026 FIFA World Cup could become the most climate-damaging tournament in history.
A new report released in early July 2025 by Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) warns that the event—set to take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico—will pump more than 9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) into Earth’s atmosphere.
That figure is more than double the average emissions of the past four World Cups, surpassing Qatar 2022, which “only” produced about 5.25 million tonnes of CO₂e. The spike is largely due to the expanded format: 48 teams instead of 32, and 104 matches instead of 64. While most stadiums are existing venues, thousands of flights will be needed to carry players, officials, fans, and logistics across three vast countries.
“That’s the equivalent of 6.5 million UK cars running non-stop for an entire year,” the report states.
SGR prepared the report in collaboration with the Environmental Defence Fund and the Sport for Climate Action Network. This joint effort underscores that the numbers are not just statistics—they are a reminder that sports can no longer stand apart from the ecological crisis gripping the planet.
Ironically, in their initial bid documents, the three host nations hailed the 2026 World Cup as “a new milestone for environmental sustainability in sports,” projecting emissions of just 3.6 million tonnes of CO₂e at the time.
FIFA has pledged to cut emissions by 50% by 2030 and to achieve net-zero by 2040. The governing body claims to have adopted green strategies such as waste sorting, recycling building materials, and complying with green building certification standards. However, in 2023, Swiss regulators ruled that FIFA made false claims about the carbon neutrality of the Qatar World Cup. Advertising that described the tournament as “fully carbon neutral” was deemed misleading by the Swiss Fairness Commission (SFC).
Writer : Wage Erlangga
Editor : Sulung Prasetyo
