Emissions from air travel and major football tournaments

Research Question: This paper explores the environmental impact of air travel during two international football tournaments–the Mens FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championships–by estimating CO₂ emissions from the movements of competing teams. Specifically, we consider how travel associated with major international football tournaments has evolved over time. Research Methods: We access data for 895 international football matches (June 1990–July 2024). Our data focuses on the travel associated with players and management travelling to, and within, host countries and includes the movement of more than 16,000 people. Estimates of CO₂ emissions per passenger (per kilometre) are used to examine the environmental impact of travelling to host countries, and competing, during the tournament. Results and Findings: Our findings are the first attempt to demonstrate the CO₂ emissions from team travel to and within major football tournaments. Despite improvements in aeroplane fuel efficiency, the carbon footprint from team travel has generally not been reduced. The decision to expand these tournaments, locate matches across large geographic areas, and use co-host countries has exacerbated this issue. Implications: Our findings can support sustainability initiatives and could be adopted by both federations to curb CO₂ emissions which appear to undermine genuine attempts to become more environmentally friendly.