Not only has the number of teams been expanded to a record 48, but for the first time the tournament is also being held in three different countries – the United States, Mexico and Canada.
According to research from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, where climate expert David Gogishvili works, this year’s World Cup will “represent the largest climate footprint of all time in international sport.” According to the university’s calculations, the expected carbon dioxide emissions are between five and nine million tons. During the 2024 Paris Olympics, emissions were a modest 1.75 million tons.
The biggest problem is said to be the distances between the different venues. For example, the distance between the host cities Miami and Vancouver is a whopping 4,500 kilometers. The Bosnia and Herzegovina national team will travel over 5,000 kilometers between their group stage matches in Toronto, Los Angeles and Seattle.
During the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in 2021, FIFA President Gianni Infantino affirmed his determination to combat climate change in connection with the World Cup tournaments, but he has refrained from giving any guarantees for this year's edition.
In contrast, the World Cup has continued to grow, contrary to what environmental scientists state as the best way to reduce emissions during similar events - to limit their scale.
