World Cup Expansion Drives Business Opportunities, Risks Record Carbon Emissions

Environmental experts believe that this summer's World Cup will not only be the largest and most profitable in history, but will also set a record for carbon emissions, becoming the most polluting sporting event ever. David Gogishvili, a geographer at the University of Lausanne, told AFP: "Unlike the Olympic Games, which have consistently reduced their carbon footprint in recent editions, the situation with the FIFA Men's World Cup is the exact opposite." This summer, the World Cup will expand to 48 teams for the first time and will be co-hosted by Mexico, Canada, and the United States. While the tournament will generate unprecedented revenue, research from the University of Lausanne shows it will also "create the largest carbon footprint in international sports history." Gogishvili stated that the University of Lausanne estimates carbon dioxide emissions to be between 5 million and 9 million metric tons, higher than the approximately 1.75 million metric tons for the 2024 Paris Olympics. This figure far exceeds the estimated 2.17 million metric tons produced during the 2018 Russia World Cup, which was more dispersed and had 40 fewer matches. It also surpasses the 3.17 million metric tons from the 2022 Qatar World Cup, which faced criticism for rushed stadium construction, excessive scale, and air conditioning. The 16 venues for this tournament already existed when the hosting rights were confirmed, a point specifically emphasized by the bid team at the time. The main problem is the excessive distance between venues. Miami and Vancouver are more than 4,500 kilometers apart. This will increase the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in international events: air travel for teams, officials, and media, especially as FIFA expects to attract "more than 5 million fans." For example, Bosnia and Herzegovina will fly 5,040 kilometers to play group stage matches in Toronto, Los Angeles, and finally Seattle. Gogishvili said FIFA's "endless desire for growth" leads to an increase in matches, inevitably resulting in "more athletes, more fans, more hotel construction, more flights—it's a bit of an endless cycle." The 2030 World Cup will be held across 6 countries and 3 continents, with the first three matches in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, followed by the remaining 101 matches in Morocco, Spain, and Portugal. The 2034 World Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia, with a climate similar to Qatar but a larger area and 40 more matches. Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil company, became a major FIFA sponsor in 2024.