What are the Environmental Impacts of Large Scale Sporting Events like the FIFA World Cup?

I’m a fan of a number of sports, but none of the others hold a candle to soccer for me. Soccer has been number one since I was a kid. The fact that the men’s FIFA World Cup is coming to town is a big deal and an event I never thought I’d see locally. With the event coming to town and all the preparations, it’s a reminder of the environmental impact of large scale sporting events.

The FIFA World Cup is coming to town

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be the largest tournament in FIFA history. The number of teams participating has increased to 48 and they will play across Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Millions of fans will be traveling between the host cities and the event will be a major a major one–and extremely exciting for soccer fans like me.

With all the excitement and celebration will also come with a significant environmental footprint. From air travel emissions and stadium operations to waste generation and increased resource use, a tournament this big raises important questions about sustainability.

At the same time, the World Cup also creates opportunities for innovation, including greener transportation systems, more efficient venues, and stronger sustainability initiatives from organizers and host cities. As I’ve talked about with Formula 1 Racing, sustainability can be an exciting topic and, if embraced, can provide innovative opportunities.

Why the 2026 FIFA World Cup Will Have a Massive Environmental Footprint

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup being the largest tournament in FIFA history, it will have a much larger environmental footprint than previous years. Its scale and travel demands alone will significantly increase resource consumption across North America.

A snapshot of the 2026 tournament

• The tournament will be hosted across Canada, the United States, and Mexico
• It will feature 48 teams, expanded from the previous 32-team format
• A total of 104 matches will be played across 16 host cities
• Millions of fans are expected to travel throughout the tournament
• Host cities include locations thousands of kilometres apart, including Vancouver, Toronto, Mexico City, Miami, and Los Angeles

Environmental impacts of this large sporting event

• Increased air travel will likely create the tournament’s largest source of emissions
• Stadiums and fan zones will require large amounts of electricity and water
• Hotels, restaurants, and tourism services will see higher resource demand
• Temporary infrastructure and event operations will generate significant waste
• Broadcasting and transportation logistics will add to overall emissions

Although FIFA and host cities have announced sustainability initiatives, the tournament’s unprecedented size means its environmental impact will still be considerable.

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The Environmental Impact of Sports Tourism

Along with the huge number of players, coaches, support staff, and broadcasting personnel, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to bring millions of visitors to the host cities. While this increase in tourism is a draw for hosting a large sporting event like the World Cup because it can provide major economic benefits for local businesses, it also increases environmental pressures on the host cities and their infrastructure.

Popular host destinations such as Vancouver, Toronto, Mexico City, Dallas, and New York will likely experience significant increases in:

• Hotel occupancy
• Restaurant traffic
• Public transportation use
• Vehicle congestion
• Energy and water consumption
• Waste generation

Years ago I was in Europe during a European Cup tournament and travel between the cities was seamlessly done on trains. For this year’s World Cup, though, travel between host cities will likely contribute heavily to the tournament’s environmental footprint.

Because the 2026 World Cup is spread across such a large geographic area, many fans may take multiple flights throughout the event rather than staying in one region. The reality is that countries as big as Canada and the United States are not set up for easy travel from one side to the other.

This type of “event tourism” can place additional strain on local resources, especially during peak travel periods. Increased tourism activity may also lead to higher emissions from transportation, accommodation, and hospitality services.

Reducing tourism’s environmental impacts

To help reduce environmental impacts during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, host cities are expected to implement a range of sustainability measures aligned with FIFA’s official environmental strategy. These approaches are designed to lower emissions, reduce waste, and encourage more efficient use of urban infrastructure across Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

Suggestions for measures to implement include:

• Expanded public transit access – Prioritize low-emission transport and improve public transportation systems. This includes supporting mass transit options to reduce reliance on private vehicles.
• Walkable fan zones – Event spaces that reduce travel needs within host cities. Centralized fan zones can encourage walking and limit short-distance vehicle use.
• Cycling infrastructure – Infrastructure focused on low-emission transport options, including cycling. Host cities may support this through temporary bike lanes and improved cycling access during the tournament.
• Eco-conscious hotels and accommodations – Environmental responsibility across hospitality and tourism services, including energy and resource efficiency, are encouraged.
• Waste reduction and recycling programs – Waste management is a central focus of FIFA’s environmental strategy, with emphasis on recycling, composting, and reducing single-use materials across stadiums and fan areas.

These initiatives may not eliminate the tournament’s environmental footprint, but they can help make large-scale sporting tourism more sustainable.

FIFA’s Sustainability Commitments and Criticism

FIFA has stated that sustainability will play an important role in the 2026 World Cup. Organizers have announced goals focused on reducing environmental impacts, improving resource management, and encouraging more sustainable event operations.

Some of FIFA’s stated sustainability priorities include:

• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• Encouraging public transportation use
• Improving waste diversion and recycling systems
• Using existing stadiums where possible
• Promoting energy and water efficiency at venues
• Supporting sustainable procurement practices

Using existing infrastructure is one of the tournament’s biggest environmental advantages. Unlike some previous World Cups, the 2026 event will rely largely on already-built stadiums across North America, reducing the need for large-scale construction projects. In Vancouver, the games will be held at the longstanding BC Place Stadium and no large-scale construction was needed at all.

FIFA’s environmental claims have faced criticism from researchers and environmental groups. Critics argue that mega sporting events still generate substantial emissions, especially from international air travel and tourism. The use of carbon offset programs is fine, but for such large-scale events I question whether those programs fully outweigh the environmental damage done by the emissions created.

While FIFA may have their sustainability campaigns and are working to raise awareness and encourage improvements, using sponsors such as airlines spreads doubt as to how far large-scale sporting events will ever go to reduce their carbon footprints. Hopefully as the goals begin to be implemented, they will become more than just a greenwashing tool and will create real change.

How Fans Can Reduce Their Environmental Impact During the World Cup

While large-scale sporting events like the FIFA World Cup do have their environmental impacts, I feel it’s okay to still be a fan. As fans, we may not control how the events are organized, but we can still make individual choices to help reduce environmental impacts.

Simple ways to make match days and viewing experiences more sustainable include:

• Using public transit, cycling, or walking whenever possible
• Bringing reusable water bottles and avoiding single-use plastics
• Supporting local restaurants and environmentally conscious accommodations
• Limiting unnecessary merchandise and souvenir purchases
• Properly sorting recycling and waste at stadiums and fan zones
• Attending local community watch parties instead of taking long-distance trips
• If you are travelling between host cities, consider staying longer in one location rather than taking multiple flights throughout the tournament

While these actions may seem small on their own, big sporting events involve millions of people. Joining our efforts together can help reduce waste, lower emissions, and encourage more sustainable events in the future.

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