FIFA World Cup 2026: The Most Polluting Sporting Event in History?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, is projected to become the most environmentally impactful sporting event ever held. Although FIFA has formally pledged to cut its emissions in half by 2030, independent studies conducted by Greenly, Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR), and the New Weather Institute paint a troubling environmental picture.

The tournament’s carbon footprint is estimated to range between 7.8 and 9 million metric tons of CO₂—more than double the official footprint reported for the Qatar 2022 World Cup and significantly higher than the average footprint of tournaments held between 2010 and 2018.

Air travel represents the primary source of emissions due to the unprecedented geographic dispersion of host cities. With 16 venues spread across three countries and four time zones, including distances of up to 5,600 kilometers between cities such as Vancouver and Miami, large-scale transportation is unavoidable.

Spectator travel alone is expected to account for approximately 88% of the tournament’s total carbon footprint. One positive aspect, however, is that the event relies largely on existing NFL and professional soccer stadiums, reducing the need for extensive new construction.

At the same time, FIFA required the installation of hybrid natural grass fields in stadiums that previously used synthetic turf, increasing water demand in regions already facing water stress.

While FIFA defends its Sustainability Plan, many scientists argue that a structural contradiction exists between environmental commitments and the scale of the tournament itself.

Source: Based on information from the New Weather Institute.