The 2026 FIFA World Cup could generate over 9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e), according to a new report from the New Weather Institute. The projection would make the tournament the highest-emitting World Cup on record, roughly the annual emissions of Luxembourg, Cyprus, or Latvia.
A football player charging towards the ball while a passenger aircraft passes above the stadium, reflecting the aviation emissions expected during the expanded 2026 World Cup. AI generated picture.
The increase stems from the tournament's expanded format. The 2026 edition features 48 teams for the first time, up from 32, and 104 matches across 16 host cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico — a 47% increase in games compared with the previous edition. Air travel across the three host countries is expected to be the dominant emissions driver.
Parallel research from Loughborough University, the University of Bristol, and the University of Manchester argues that football's growth imperative makes sustainability initiatives inherently limited, linking the sport's rising carbon footprint to tournament expansion, fossil-fuel sponsorship, and the wider political economy of the game. The findings arrive as football's commercial growth accelerates: the 2022 World Cup generated approximately $7.6 billion in revenue, and FIFA expects that figure to keep rising through 2026.
Changing environmental conditions also present direct risks to the tournament itself. A climate risk assessment found that 14 of the 16 host stadiums may require cooling breaks by 2050, and research by World Weather Attribution suggests around one-quarter of scheduled matches could face heat above safety limits set by FIFPRO, the global players' union.
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Carbon markets are already part of the response. Brazil's state-owned bank Caixa Econômica Federal will supply carbon credits to compensate for the emissions of the country's men's national team, supporting the Brazilian Football Confederation's Carbon Neutral Team strategy. The credits are generated through emission reductions at the Rio Waste Treatment Centre in Seropédica, part of a programme of activities registered with the UN since 2012. 'The initiative contributes to the environmentally sound management of waste and to the reduction of the impacts of climate change', Caixa said in a LinkedIn post.
Sustainability measures across football now include renewable energy installations, sustainable stadium design, and low-carbon transport plans. Aviation remains one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise, and researchers expect travel-related emissions to stay a central challenge for future tournaments. Verified carbon credits offer organisations a route to compensate for hard-to-abate travel emissions, a route Brazil's initiative now brings to football's biggest stage.
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As demand for trusted, high-quality carbon credits grows, the standards behind each credit matter more than ever. Green Earth develops large-scale nature-based carbon projects accredited to leading international standards, with full supply chain oversight from initial design through to long-term monitoring and credit issuance. Every project delivers verified environmental impact across ecosystems, communities, and biodiversity, built to the highest levels of regulatory scrutiny.
