World Cup kicks off amid heat, cost and climate concerns

The World Cup opened with football on the field and a stack of logistics off it: heat, travel burdens, visa hurdles and a mounting cost for host cities. The tournament is being staged across Canada, Mexico and the United States, with 48 teams playing 104 matches in 16 host cities before the final on Sunday, 19 July 2026.

The scale alone has sharpened scrutiny of the event’s climate impact. Greenly estimated the tournament could generate 7.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, a footprint roughly equal to the annual emissions of 1.7 million cars or Sierra Leone’s yearly emissions. The three-country, 16-city format means long-haul travel will account for much of that total, feeding warnings from climate experts and campaigners that this could become the most polluting World Cup ever staged.

FIFA has tried to frame the tournament as a test case for tighter standards. It says 2026 is the first World Cup in which comprehensive sustainability and human-rights requirements were embedded in the bid evaluation process, with the strategy developed alongside national and international stakeholders, including sustainability and human-rights groups and environmental experts. FIFA also says it will produce a more comprehensive sustainability and human-rights report after the tournament ends. That promise will be measured against the emissions, transport demands and stadium operations now unfolding across North America.

Heat remains the most immediate sporting concern. After criticism during the Club World Cup, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said stadiums with roofs in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Vancouver would be used during the day next year to help reduce heat and weather problems. Players’ union FIFPRO said three Club World Cup games should have been delayed or postponed because of excessive heat, and Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández said the conditions made him “dizzy” and were “very dangerous.” Those warnings now hang over a tournament spread across summer dates in cities where extreme temperatures can quickly change match conditions.

The off-field strain is just as real. Foreign fans from Visa Waiver Program countries can use ESTA to enter the United States, while other visitors need a valid B1/B2 visa, according to the U.S. State Department. Canada says there is no special FIFA World Cup 26 visa, but many travelers will need either a visitor visa or an eTA, and ticket holders are urged to apply early because a ticket does not guarantee approval. FIFA and U.S. officials have also rolled out FIFA PASS, which gives ticket holders priority U.S. visa interview appointments.

Money is another pressure point for host cities. Congress approved $625 million in security funding nationwide, but local governments may still have to cover other expenses that could reach $150 million per city. Some host committees are already cutting back on fan festivals as budgets tighten, a sign that the 2026 tournament is testing whether a larger World Cup can deliver its promises without stretching cities, taxpayers and travelers to the limit.