The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup could become the ‘most polluting ever’, according to a new report examining football’s relationship with climate change.
The study, released ahead of this summer’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, claims football’s governing bodies are prioritising commercial expansion over environmental concerns, saying the sport has become deeply tied to fossil fuel interests and unsustainable growth.
Delivered by The University of Manchester, Loughborough University and the University of Bristol, the report states football’s carbon footprint is not simply caused by fan travel or stadiums, but is politically produced through decades of commercial growth, globalisation, ties to fossil fuel companies and Petrostates.
A Petrostate is a nation whose economy and political power are largely dependent on the extraction and export of oil or natural gas.
Key findings
- Elite football increasingly relies on investment from fossil fuel-rich states and companies, including sponsorships and ownership models linked to Gulf nations and energy firms.
- FIFA’s partnership with Saudi oil giant Aramco is singled out by the authors, who claim football has become central to a wider strategy of sportswashing by fossil fuel interests.
- The expanded 48-team format for the 2026 Men’s World Cup will significantly increase emissions due to the greater number of matches and the vast travel distances across North America.
- The tournament will feature 104 matches across 16 host cities spanning the entire continent. The last Men’s World Cup in 2022, Qatar, saw 64 matches played across the 32-team tournament.
- FIFA’s environmental policies are scrutinised, with the research team accusing the organisation of promoting sustainability rhetoric while simultaneously expanding competitions and strengthening ties with fossil fuel sponsors.
The study highlights concerns over future tournaments, noting that Saudi Arabia is set to host the 2034 World Cup while the United States withdrew from the Paris climate agreement under President Donald Trump.
Why this matters
The researchers say the expanded 48-team format for the 2026 Men’s World Cup will significantly increase emissions due to the greater number of matches and the vast travel distances across North America.
The tournament will feature 104 matches across 16 host cities spanning the entire continent. The last Men’s World Cup in 2022, Qatar, saw 64 matches played across the 32-team tournament.
FIFA’s environmental policies are also scrutinised, with the research team accusing the organisation of promoting sustainability rhetoric while simultaneously expanding competitions and strengthening ties with fossil fuel sponsors.
The study also highlights concerns over future tournaments, noting that Saudi Arabia is set to host the 2034 World Cup while the United States withdrew from the Paris climate agreement under President Donald Trump.
What the researchers say
Lead researcher, Dr Mark Doidge, Reader in Sociology of Sport at Loughborough University, said: “Football is the world’s most popular sport, and probably the most popular activity. It is for this reason that football authorities, like FIFA, continue to exploit it for commercial profit.”
“Football is also a cultural powerhouse with millions of fans, volunteers, and players trying to make the sport better. Football can, and should, use its influence to mitigate against climate change.”
Dr James Jackson, Lecturer at The University of Manchester, said: “Despite the last World Cup offering a preview of what football would be like in a significantly warmer world, FIFA has remained indifferent to better regulation. Rather than being proactive and ensuring football helps mitigate against the worst impacts of climate change, they are – at best – pursuing meagre adaptation measures for things which affect fans and players.”
“The University of Manchester is a public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester City Centre on Oxford Road.”
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