2026 FIFA World Cup will be «most polluting edition ever,» says report

The 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup, which is jointly organized by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will become «the most climate-shading» in the history of the tournament, According to a new study by environmental activists.

Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) has calculated that the 48 team tournament will generate more than nine million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. «Driven by a high dependence on air travel and a significant increase in the amount of competitions,» said the report.

According to SGR, this is almost double the average for the last four World Cup final, while it is considerably more than the 2022 edition.

The World Cup Qatar has an estimated footprint of a maximum of 5.25 million tonnes of CO2E.

The SGR report was carried out in collaboration with the Environmental Defense Fund and the Sport for Climate Action Network.

Next year’s World Cup will have 104 competitions, 40 more than the Qatar tournament.

According to the original bid from the US, Canada and Mexico, it was expected that the tournament would produce an estimated 3.6 million tonnes of CO2E, although it was initially planned to organize only 80 games.

The bid document also stated that «the World Cup 2026 will determine new standards for environmentalism in sport and yields measurable environmental benefits».