Our analysis sets out the massive pollution linked to FIFA’s newly expanded Club World Cup (CWC), even as the tournament is highly exposed to extreme heat worsened by climate change.

We estimate that competing teams alone (not counting their supporters) will fly 564,877km and be in the air for 44,390 minutes across the tournament! The tournament is also bankrolled by big polluters, from airline Qatar Airways to the Saudi Public Investment Fund, who will now be promoted to fans watching around the world.

We show that the tournament is unwanted by large sections of the football world, including players, fans, broadcasters, sponsors and leagues. But putting on a tournament that few really want has left FIFA reliant on financial and political backing from pro-oil authoritarian rulers in Qatar, Saudi (and the US), despite the obvious climate risks the competition faces. The tournament is only happening because of the oil revenues of Saudi Arabia, which is bankrolling the competition’s $1bn in prize money, via the PIF’s $1bn stake in broadcaster DAZN.  

This disregard for the dangers of climate change comes as analysis of temperature records suggests that players and fans are likely to face dangerously hot conditions at the tournament, even as FIFA have scheduled many matches during the hottest parts of the day in stadiums without shade.  

Find the full publication below. Contact Peter Crisp at peter@fossilfreefootball.org for comment or clarification.