Numbers behind 'the most polluting World Cup'
For most football fans, following their team at a World Cup would be the trip of a lifetime. In 2026, it will mean embarking on some of the longest - and most carbon-intensive - journeys ever taken at a major tournament.
For most football fans, following their team at a World Cup would be the trip of a lifetime. In 2026, it will mean embarking on some of the longest - and most carbon-intensive - journeys ever taken at a major tournament. Fifa's decision to host the World Cup across an entire continent and expand it to 48 teams will leave some fans potentially facing thousands of miles of air travel, with emissions running into tonnes of carbon dioxide per fan, according to analysis from BBC Sport.
An England fan flying from London and watching the team at every game - should they reach the final - could generate a footprint of about 3. 5 tonnes of CO2. That is equivalent to heating an average home in the UK for 19 months.
Fifa is projecting more than five million fans from around the world will attend the tournament. Environmentally, it comes at a cost. Any England fans hoping to follow Thomas Tuchel's side from their first game in Dallas on 17 June to the final in New Jersey on 19 July - flying between every venue - can expect to spend a lot of time on an aeroplane.
Overall, a supporter flying to and from London and attending every England match in between would travel nearly two-thirds the circumference of the Earth. England fans following their team through the group stage alone could travel more than 1,760 miles between host cities. Adding in a flight from London and England reaching the final, and the mileage racks up.