2026 World Cup Could Leave the Largest Carbon Footprint in History
The 2026 FIFA World Cup may leave the largest carbon footprint in history, according to experts, due to the increased number of teams and the vast distances between host cities.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup may leave the largest carbon footprint in history, according to experts. This year's tournament will be the first to feature 48 teams, up from the previous 32, and will take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
The fact that the tournament is being held in three countries means that teams will have to travel long distances. For example, the distance between Miami and Vancouver is approximately 4,500 kilometers.
In addition to the players, officials, journalists, and fans will also be traveling frequently between cities. According to FIFA estimates, over 5 million fans are expected to attend the tournament.
Experts from the University of Lausanne (UNIL) estimate that the amount of CO2 emitted during the tournament could reach up to 9 million tons.
For comparison, the estimated CO2 emissions for the 2024 Paris Olympics were around 1.75 million tons, while the 2022 World Cup in Qatar emitted around 3.17 million tons of CO2.
According to UNIL geographer David Gogishvili, while there has been a trend towards reducing carbon footprint in recent Olympic Games, the opposite may be true for the men's FIFA World Cup.
It is reported that the 2030 World Cup will have an even wider geographical scope, with the tournament starting with three opening matches in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, before moving on to Morocco, Spain, and Portugal.