The FIFA World Cup: Balancing sport and sustainability

The Men’s FIFA World Cup is sport’s biggest global celebration, with nearly five billion people watching some portion of the tournament and 1.5 billion people watching the final of Qatar 2022. The World Cup captivates the minds of the young and the old, of all religions, races and genders and creates storylines fans never forget. The month-long party has given us magical memories like Cruyff’s Clockwork Orange, Maradona’s “Hand of God,” and more recently Messi and M’Bappé’s desert showdown. It also helps to develop the beautiful game with the profits being redistributed to national associations via FIFA. But there is no denying that as the pinnacle of sports mega-events has grown, so has its environmental impact. 

Despite claims from Qatar and FIFA that the 2022 Men’s World Cup was carbon neutral, the emissions from the tournament were estimated, in advance, by FIFA, to be 3.6 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). For context, these estimations are similar to Iceland’s yearly emissions, and greater than those of the majority of sub-Saharan African nations. This estimate factors in the construction of seven new stadiums for the tournament and their air conditioning systems, as well as transportation infrastructure, and an expected 1,300 flights daily flights carrying fans in and out of the host nation. It also accounts for the 136 practice fields and eight stadium pitches, each requiring between 10,000L and 50,000L of desalinated water a day. 

According to Carbon Market Watch, 3.6 million tons of CO2 is an underestimation as “emissions associated with the construction of permanent new stadiums” were undercounted. Moreover, the carbon neutrality of the tournament relied upon a carbon credits scheme run by the host nation, which Carbon Market Watch deemed “highly unlikely to effectively counterbalance tournament emissions.” Regardless, even the low estimate of 3.6 million tons of CO2 makes the 2022 edition the most carbon-intensive World Cup yet, surpassing the 2 million tons of CO2 emitted at Russia 2018. But the key word here is yet.

At the 73rd FIFA Congress in mid-March of 2023, plans for an expanded Men’s FIFA World Cup were approved. The new tournament will increase participation from 32 to 48 teams and will be played in 16 cities across North America. The plan will increase fan and member association engagement. However, in a world suffering increasingly from climate change - moving from flood to famine and from forest fire to biodiversity collapse - it is natural to question the implications of expanding a tournament that already contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. 

The new iteration of the tournament will be held in June and July - the hottest months of the year in most of North America - with an initial twelve groups of four group stage. The final will be played on July 19th in a location yet to be determined. Although if history tells us anything, it will likely be played in sunny - albeit wildfire plagued - Los Angeles. Most importantly, there will be 104 games played. This is a 62.5% increase on the 64 matches played in Qatar, and double the 52 games played at the US-hosted 1994 World Cup. While more games means more entertainment for fans, and more money for FIFA, it also means more travel and more greenhouse gas emissions. 

With matches being played from as far north as Vancouver and as far south as Mexico City and Miami, travel distance will pose an environmental threat. Vancouver to Miami is 4,500km by plane and a one-way economy ticket for one passenger produces roughly 672 kg of carbon dioxide. But not all fans will be flying one way, nor will they all fly economy. Plus one must factor in the travel of the national teams and their backroom staff, accounting for 16 more teams this time. 

Unfortunately, the United States, Canada and Mexico are not renowned for their public transit systems. The United States has one high-speed rail system that connects its northeastern corridor. Canada has no high-speed rail, while Mexico has two proposed lines, one from Mexico City to Santiago de Queretaro and one from Monterrey to San Antonio. It is unknown if either of these lines will be ready by the summer of 2026. This means that fans and players alike will have to fly between almost all cities for matches, at distances far greater than those of the last World Cup. 

The best way to mitigate this effect would be to schedule teams to play matches in only one city or two neighboring cities. The NFL’s Baltimore Ravens have shown that some sustainable travel in the Northeastern US is possible, with trains connecting Boston, New York and Philadelphia. Teams and fans should be alerted of the possibility of sustainable travel and should take the Ravens lead wherever possible.

The 2026 World Cup will be the biggest one yet. It will incorporate more teams and more fans, and it will require sustainable transport infrastructure and stadium renovations that are not yet in place. The hope now is that infrastructure improvements and innovations can be made in the next three years before the 2026 World Cup begins. But moving forward, in accordance with Football For Future’s proposal for a sustainable World Cup, the bidding process should place greater emphasis on sustainability and a nation’s ability to host a climate-friendly tournament. Moreover, there should be an expected emissions calculation as part of the bidding process. Each potential host should submit the expected environmental impact of hosting, alongside plans to mitigate those effects. Finally, World Cups without heavy construction needs should be prioritized.

Most importantly, the 2026 tournament and every subsequent World Cup should be enjoyed without fans and players having to worry about the environmental consequences. They should be a cause for celebration not for concern, but this will require true commitment to emissions reduction and the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework that FIFA signed. Let the global football community unite to balance the beautiful game and the environment!

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About the author:

Vitas Carosella holds a master’s degree in International Relations with a focus on sports diplomacy and development. His previously published work includes discussion on football as a tool of soft power, a profile of Sevilla FC Sporting Director Monchi, and various articles on the recent Nigerian elections. Vitas currently volunteers at Fossil Free Football, fighting to improve the beautiful game’s sustainability efforts.