World Cup’s climate toll puts adaptation in focus

The 2026 FIFA World Cup across the United States, Canada and Mexico is expected to generate about 9 million tonnes of CO₂, making it the most carbon-intensive tournament in football history. DanChurchAid and Football for Future say the event is also exposing how extreme heat, storms and flooding are already disrupting the sport and threatening community pitches.

Why it matters: - The 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to produce about 9 million tonnes of CO₂, highlighting the climate cost of major global sports events. - The tournament’s disruption from extreme weather is also pushing climate adaptation into the center of the football conversation. - DanChurchAid says football’s most powerful organizations will eventually have to respond if the sport is to remain viable outdoors in a warming climate.

What happened: - DanChurchAid and Football for Future used the World Cup to spotlight climate change and the need to adapt football infrastructure. - The 2026 tournament is being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico. - The estimated emissions total is driven largely by air travel from 48 national teams and millions of spectators. - The footprint is roughly double that of the Qatar World Cup. - The emissions are equivalent to about one quarter of Denmark’s annual greenhouse gas emissions.

The details: - Football for Future’s report, Pitches in Peril, says 14 of the 16 World Cup host stadiums have already faced conditions that exceed recognized safe-play thresholds. - The report points to extreme heat, severe thunderstorms and lightning, flooding and extreme rainfall. - DanChurchAid says climate change is no longer a distant risk for football and is already creating operational challenges. - Jonas Nøddekær, Secretary General of DanChurchAid, said severe thunderstorms over Philadelphia forced players from France and Iraq and 60,000 spectators to seek shelter. - Nøddekær said extreme weather cannot be addressed with only short-term fixes such as a cooling break.

Between the lines: - The World Cup is drawing attention to climate change in a way that scientific warnings often do not. - Football’s visibility gives climate impacts a mass audience, which may increase pressure on FIFA and other governing bodies. - The focus on stadiums and local pitches suggests climate risk is not limited to elite events and affects community-level sports too. - The Nairobi example shows how climate adaptation can become a practical recovery effort, not just a policy goal.

What's next: - DanChurchAid and Football for Future are calling for climate adaptation of football pitches and nearby communities around the World Cup. - The groups are also drawing attention to Nairobi, where 2024 floods damaged football pitches in the Mathare informal settlement before local communities helped restore them. - Elliot Arthur-Worsop, founder of Football for Future, said East Africa’s preparation for AFCON 2027 offers a chance to leave a stronger legacy for local football infrastructure. - The broader expectation is that future tournaments will face more scrutiny over emissions, resilience and player safety as climate risks intensify.