Soccer, aka football in most of the world, will have a huge environmental impact next year with the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Held from June 11 to July 19, the Cup will be co-hosted by 16 cities across three nations: 11 in the United States (Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle), three in Mexico (Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey), and two in Canada (Vancouver, Toronto). This historic tournament will be the first hosted by three countries and the first to feature 48 teams.
For the many green lodging establishments and venues in the host regions the Cup will be an opportunity to tell their sustainability stories to the up to 6.5 million visitors that are expected for the games, including 1.2 million international visitors to the U.S. alone. Eco-minded travelers will gravitate toward eco-certified hotels and resorts and those offering solar power, water conservation, waste reduction, or locally sourced food that align with green principles. The Cup will be a great seed planting opportunity for future business—a chance to impress those travelers who impact both business (meetings) and leisure travel decisions.
A study commissioned by U.K.-based climate change charity Pledgeball, in conjunction with the Champions League sponsor Mastercard, polled over 1,600 fans—including attendees at last year’s Champions League final—on the subject of environmental sustainability in soccer. It found that 81 percent of respondents said they are worried about the climate crisis, and 82 percent said they wanted their clubs to do more to combat it.
Football’s Record Environmental Impact
According to research from the Scientists for Global Responsibility, the tournament is set to generate more than 9 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), making it the most climate damaging impacting World Cup tournament in history. For comparison, this figure is significantly more than Qatar 2022, which is estimated to have had a footprint of up to 5.25 million tons of CO2e.
Compounding the negative environmental impact of the Cup will be the absence of low-carbon alternatives such as high-speed rail in North America. Most will flock toward airports to travel between cities and countries.
The 2022 World Cup was held in November/December to take advantage of milder Qatar weather, but next year’s Cup will be held in mid-summer—driving up the energy demand significantly in host locations.
FIFA, which has a goal to halve emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero by 2040 across its operations and tournaments, has been criticized for the environmental impact of the 2026 Cup, including its sponsorship by Saudi Aramco, the state-owned Saudi Arabian oil giant.
FIFA’s claims of carbon neutrality for its 2022 Cup were deemed misleading by a Swiss regulator.
Don’t Even Think About Greenwashing
Greenwashing is never a good idea but especially in the New Year with so many travelers—including those who are much more used to sustainable practices in their home countries—make sure your environmental programs are solid. This will benefit the environment and give you a “leg up” for business in the soccer/football community and beyond.
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