The World Cup That Promised Sustainability... Could 2026 Become the Most Polluting Tournament in History?
Years before the opening whistle of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the United States, Canada, and Mexico pledged to deliver the most environmentally sustainable tournament in the competition’s history. The joint bid promised reduced carbon emissions, greater reliance on renewable energy, and a commitment to making the event as close to carbon neutral as possible.
However, as the tournament approaches, those ambitious environmental promises are coming under increasing scrutiny. New studies and environmental assessments suggest that the expanded World Cup could become the most polluting edition ever staged.
The three host nations originally built their environmental strategy around reducing overall energy consumption, improving energy efficiency, and expanding the use of renewable energy sources. These commitments were also aligned with FIFA’s sustainability requirements for host nations.
Yet recent estimates paint a different picture. While the hosts projected total emissions of approximately 3.6 million tons of carbon dioxide, independent analyses indicate the actual figure could be significantly higher.
According to Greenly, a company specializing in carbon footprint measurement and environmental impact assessments, the 2026 World Cup could generate as much as 7.8 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. That figure would be more than double the estimated emissions associated with the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
A major factor behind this increase is the vast geographical scale of the tournament. Unlike previous editions hosted within relatively compact areas, the 2026 World Cup will span dozens of cities across three countries, requiring extensive air travel for teams, supporters, media organizations, and commercial partners.
Greenly estimates that the average international fan attending the tournament will travel approximately 19,400 kilometers, compared with around 13,000 kilometers during the Qatar World Cup.
Alexis Normand, co-founder of Greenly, argues that major sporting events should be used as opportunities to accelerate investments in sustainable infrastructure, including electric transportation systems, rail networks, and environmentally efficient venues.
However, as the tournament approaches, those ambitious environmental promises are coming under increasing scrutiny. New studies and environmental assessments suggest that the expanded World Cup could become the most polluting edition ever staged.
The three host nations originally built their environmental strategy around reducing overall energy consumption, improving energy efficiency, and expanding the use of renewable energy sources. These commitments were also aligned with FIFA’s sustainability requirements for host nations.
Yet recent estimates paint a different picture. While the hosts projected total emissions of approximately 3.6 million tons of carbon dioxide, independent analyses indicate the actual figure could be significantly higher.
According to Greenly, a company specializing in carbon footprint measurement and environmental impact assessments, the 2026 World Cup could generate as much as 7.8 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. That figure would be more than double the estimated emissions associated with the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
A major factor behind this increase is the vast geographical scale of the tournament. Unlike previous editions hosted within relatively compact areas, the 2026 World Cup will span dozens of cities across three countries, requiring extensive air travel for teams, supporters, media organizations, and commercial partners.
Greenly estimates that the average international fan attending the tournament will travel approximately 19,400 kilometers, compared with around 13,000 kilometers during the Qatar World Cup.
Alexis Normand, co-founder of Greenly, argues that major sporting events should be used as opportunities to accelerate investments in sustainable infrastructure, including electric transportation systems, rail networks, and environmentally efficient venues.
According to the company’s research, nearly 90 percent of the tournament’s projected emissions will come from fan transportation alone.
The estimated emissions generated by supporter travel could reach 6.82 million tons of carbon dioxide, a figure comparable to the annual carbon footprint of more than 700,000 people.
The environmental challenge is further intensified by the unprecedented expansion of the tournament. While Qatar 2022 featured 32 teams and 64 matches, the 2026 edition will include 48 teams and 104 matches, representing an increase of more than 60 percent in the number of games.
Ticket sales are also expected to rise dramatically, with projections reaching approximately six million tickets compared to 3.4 million during the previous World Cup.
The increase in participating teams, spectators, transportation requirements, and logistical operations is expected to place additional pressure on the tournament’s environmental footprint.
As global concerns over climate change continue to grow, FIFA and the host nations face mounting pressure to balance sporting ambition, commercial success, and environmental responsibility.
The coming months may ultimately determine whether the 2026 FIFA World Cup is remembered as a milestone in sustainable event management or as the most environmentally controversial tournament in football history.
Source: Foreign Press + Greenly.
The estimated emissions generated by supporter travel could reach 6.82 million tons of carbon dioxide, a figure comparable to the annual carbon footprint of more than 700,000 people.
The environmental challenge is further intensified by the unprecedented expansion of the tournament. While Qatar 2022 featured 32 teams and 64 matches, the 2026 edition will include 48 teams and 104 matches, representing an increase of more than 60 percent in the number of games.
Ticket sales are also expected to rise dramatically, with projections reaching approximately six million tickets compared to 3.4 million during the previous World Cup.
The increase in participating teams, spectators, transportation requirements, and logistical operations is expected to place additional pressure on the tournament’s environmental footprint.
As global concerns over climate change continue to grow, FIFA and the host nations face mounting pressure to balance sporting ambition, commercial success, and environmental responsibility.
The coming months may ultimately determine whether the 2026 FIFA World Cup is remembered as a milestone in sustainable event management or as the most environmentally controversial tournament in football history.
Source: Foreign Press + Greenly.