The 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to be the most carbon-intensive World Cup ever staged, an analysis by Good Vision suggested ahead of the opening ceremony on June 11.
Good Vision is a part of the global Grant Thornton network, specializing in sustainability and corporate responsibility.
They estimate that the 2026 World Cup will produce a carbon footprint of approximately 3.7 million tons of CO2e, while the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was estimated to produce 3.63 million tons, and the tournaments in Russia (2018) and Brazil (2014) were responsible for around 2.16 and 2.72 million tons, respectively.
The analysis suggests that this World Cup alone could account for nearly a third of the annual global carbon emissions associated with soccer.
According to the report, the increase in carbon emissions is a result of the unprecedented expansion of the tournament, from 32 to 48 teams, which increased the number of matches from 64 to 104. Additionally, the tournament is being staged across three different countries, Canada, the US, and Mexico - a first in World Cup history.
This means that teams and fans will have to travel extensively between host cities throughout the competition, further increasing carbon emissions.
Stadiums launch sustainability initiatives
Despite this troubling data, there are also positive steps being taken by both FIFA and host venues towards sustainability.
SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, for example, incorporates passive cooling technologies based on natural airflow and a specialized ETFE roof that reduces direct solar heat gain by approximately 86%, significantly lowering energy demand and reducing the need for artificial lighting during daytime matches.
Additionally, several venues have achieved some of the highest waste-diversion rates in professional sports, redirecting 90+% of waste to composting and recycling rather than landfills.
Good Vision notes that these measures are unlikely to significantly offset the increase in carbon emissions, adding that many stadiums in the US and Canada that typically use artificial turf have switched to water-intensive natural grass for the World Cup, which will require tens of thousands of liters of water per day, including in water-stressed regions.
Ivri Verbin, CEO of Good Vision, explained, "The 2026 World Cup highlights one of the defining contradictions facing global sports today. On the one hand, we are seeing greater investment in green technologies, recycling systems, and waste-reduction initiatives. On the other hand, the continued expansion of major tournaments - more matches, more host countries and more flights - is driving carbon emissions to unprecedented levels."
"You cannot continue expanding tournaments, increasing air travel, and adding more host cities while simultaneously claiming a commitment to climate goals. At some point, the numbers simply stop adding up."
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