 in revenue, thereby delivering an $11bn profit for FIFA – but lands organisers with many problems. One of the major ones concerns the environment, with the tournament taking place at the height of summer in countries which have been ravaged by wildfires recently. Meanwhile, a huge carbon footprint is inevitable, with flying unavoidable due to the distances between host cities. For example, there are nearly 3,000 miles between the most northern venue, Edmonton, and the most southern, Mexico City. FIFA is yet to release its sustainability plan for the next World Cup, but has committed to reducing its carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and to reaching net zero by 2040, in accordance with the Paris Agreement. Those aims are undermined by the decisions taken around its most important tournament, according to David Wheeler, the sustainability champion at the Professional Footballers' Association. 'In a climate crisis it is quite clearly insane to have a World Cup across that size of area and with that amount of people,' he told Mirror Football. 'Expanding it to 48 teams is a blinkered and narrow-minded approach.' Wheeler's words come after Gary Lineker raised concerns about the suitability of Canada, USA and Mexico as hosts during the summer months. 'I'd like to see FIFA worry more about climate chang){kind=link}
The 2026 World Cup will be held across Canada, the USA and Mexico, countries which have been devastated by intense heat and wildfires, providing huge problems for FIFA
FIFA has been accused of “shirking responsibility” by taking an “insane” approach towards the hosting of the 2026 World Cup.
The next World Cup will be hosted across Canada, the USA and Mexico in June and July 2026 after the united bid was chosen by FIFA members ahead of Morocco in June 2018. The tournament will see an increase from 32 to 48 teams and from 64 to 104 matches, and will be played in 16 cities across North America.
The expansion means more money â the bid promised to turn $14billion (£10.3bn) in revenue, thereby delivering an $11bn profit for FIFA â but lands organisers with many problems. One of the major ones concerns the environment, with the tournament taking place at the height of summer in countries which have been ravaged by wildfires recently.
Meanwhile, a huge carbon footprint is inevitable, with flying unavoidable due to the distances between host cities. For example, there are nearly 3,000 miles between the most northern venue, Edmonton, and the most southern, Mexico City. FIFA is yet to release its sustainability plan for the next World Cup, but has committed to reducing its carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and to reaching net zero by 2040, in accordance with the Paris Agreement.