Scholar urges World Cup climate fund tied to tournament revenue
Azzam Abu-Rayash says the 2026 World Cup should fund emissions cuts as Greenly estimates its footprint at 7.8 million tonnes of CO2e.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
A Hamad Bin Khalifa University engineering scholar is calling for a dedicated climate fund for major football tournaments, arguing that the 2026 FIFA World Cup should account for the emissions created by travel, venues and logistics. Azzam Abu-Rayash wrote in Al Jazeera that football’s biggest events should face the same climate scrutiny increasingly applied to companies, infrastructure projects and high-emitting industries.
Abu-Rayash, an assistant professor at the College of Science and Engineering at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, said carbon neutrality requires organisers to measure emissions, cut them where possible and address what remains. He linked that approach to carbon pricing systems and tariffs, which he said are designed to make pollution costs visible rather than leave them outside financial planning.
A larger tournament across three countries
The 2026 World Cup began June 11 and is scheduled to run through July 19, according to Abu-Rayash. He said the tournament is larger than earlier editions, with 48 teams playing 104 matches in 16 host cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
That scale, he wrote, means teams, supporters, officials, journalists, sponsors and suppliers are moving across North America, much of it by air. Carbon accounting platform Greenly has estimated the tournament’s total footprint at about 7.8 million tonnes of CO2e, with spectator travel making up roughly 88 percent of that total, according to Abu-Rayash.
He said travel is only part of the footprint. Stadium lighting, cooling, broadcast systems, security, food services and hotel stays for fans also add to the emissions tied to the tournament.
Abu-Rayash also pointed to the event’s finances. FIFA initially projected about $11bn in revenue for its 2023-2026 cycle, with the 2026 World Cup as the central event, and later increased that target, he wrote. Given those revenues, he argued, climate planning should be part of tournament funding rather than a public-relations add-on.
Proposed fund and oversight
Abu-Rayash proposed a Sports Climate Responsibility Fund financed by a fixed share of tournament revenue, along with contributions from FIFA, sponsors, broadcasters and other commercial beneficiaries. He said the fund should have independent oversight and should support climate research, renewable energy, cleaner transport, sustainable mobility, carbon accounting and emissions reduction.
He cited UEFA’s Euro 2024 Climate Fund as a precedent. According to Abu-Rayash, that programme invested nearly 8 million euros in grassroots sustainability projects, including solar panels, battery storage, LED floodlights, electric-vehicle charging stations and waste separation systems.
He cautioned that the Euro 2024 programme was built for a smaller, single-country tournament, while the 2026 World Cup spans three countries and 104 matches. Abu-Rayash said it should be treated as proof that a sports climate fund can work, rather than as a ready-made model for FIFA’s event.
The proposed fund would assess tournament-related emissions and support steps such as better scheduling, lower-emission transport, renewable energy, more efficient stadium operations and improved waste systems, Abu-Rayash wrote. He said Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions linked to travel, lodging, logistics, food, waste and stadium energy should be independently evaluated.
Abu-Rayash said he plans to launch a research study to build evidence for the proposal and invited researchers, universities, sustainability professionals and funders to take part. He argued that the World Cup can remain a source of joy while requiring those who benefit commercially from it to address its environmental cost.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.