Historic World Cup may also come with historic emissions, experts warn
While billions watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scientists warn this tournament could come with an ugly climate cost.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 11, with the entire North American continent serving as host for the 48 teams taking part in the famous tournament.
With games being held in Toronto, Vancouver, Miami, and Mexico City, some researchers estimate the tournament could generate up to nine million tonnes of carbon emissions. That’s equivalent to roughly one year of emissions from two million cars, as well as five times the emissions of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
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The estimates come from a 2025 report by the British-based group Scientists for Global Responsibility.
The issue isn’t the stadiums themselves; most already exist. Critics say the real climate problem is geography. This will be the most geographically spread-out World Cup ever staged.
Researchers say air travel is expected to account for the vast majority of the tournament’s emissions footprint.
It’s more than 4,500 kilometres from Vancouver to Miami, and many fans, media crews, and even teams could end up taking multiple flights across North America over the course of the tournament.
A layer of irony
While contributing to the emissions linked to rising global temperatures, the tournament itself is actually at risk from some of threats associated with climate change. These threats include wildfires, smoke, dangerous heat events, and an increase in severe thunderstorms.
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But climate scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe holds out hope for the future of large-scale events, citing the Coldplay tour, Netflix production, and The Alpine Ski World Cup as examples of organizations making big strides in sustainability.
"Every little bit that we can reduce our emissions really makes a difference," she said in an interview. "And sports, I think, has every reason to do so, because sports, especially outdoor sports, they're most at risk from climate impacts."
This article was copyedited by Anika Beaudry, a digital journalist at The Weather Network.
Thumbnail image made using file photos via Canva Pro.
