Spanning venues in three countries, and welcoming a record number of teams, this year's World Cup will carry a massive carbon footprint – and see players exposed to potentially dangerous heat. Sports and sustainability expert Mael Besson tells RFI why organisers need to pay more attention to climate change, how it is already affecting professional and amateur athletes, and why we should expect bigger shifts to come.
Formerly in charge of sports and sustainability at France's Ministry of Sports and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) France, Besson now advises French sports federations, insurance companies and local authorities through his agency Sport 1.5 – named for the Paris Agreement target to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C.
Sports ecological transition consultant Mael Besson, in June 2026. © Mael Besson for RFI
RFI: What does sport have to do with the work of a conservation organisation like the WWF? Mael Besson: Sport has a powerful influence on our lifestyles, habits, consumption and ideals. The impact of an athlete drinking from a plastic bottle isn't limited to that one bottle. It's however many bottles are then consumed through imitation. And it's precisely because of this imitation effect that so many sponsors invest in sports: to promote and steer consumer behaviour towards their products. RFI: The 2026 World Cup stands to be the most damaging yet in terms of climate change, but it's still world's biggest sporting celebration. What do you make of it? MB: Societies throughout history have always needed moments to get people together. We need these moments of shared enthusiasm, be it cultural, religious, political. In this case, it's sport. The problem lies in the format of this competition. It doesn't fit the trajectory for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to a level compatible with planetary limits. The main issue is travel. A large proportion of the teams and fans who follow football are in Europe. This inevitably increases the number of people travelling, and travelling long distances, therefore by plane. Add to that a record number of teams, and this World Cup will be one of the most impactful.
