Fifa’s announcement on Wednesday of wanting to organize a World Cup on three continents in 2030 surprised the sports community and comes in a context where the effects of climate change have never been so visible.
After a last edition in Qatar and a next one on an entire continent (United States, Mexico, Canada in 2026), Fifa has gone even further in its desire for co-organization. The international body announced Wednesday October 4 that the 2030 World Cup would be organized in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with also three matches played in Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina, i.e. in six countries and three continents.
An unprecedented decision, more political than ecological. “We are currently experiencing growth which is completely out of step with societal issues, particularly climate and environmental issues”laments Antoine Miche, founder and general director of Football Ecologie France. “It’s an ecological waste, reacts to Aurélien François, teacher-researcher at the University of Rouen (Seine-Maritime) and author of the work From responsibility to the social utility of sport: a sector challenged by societal changes (L’Harmattan edition). Co-organization is good from an economic point of view to pass the burden on several countries, the problem is that greenhouse gas emissions have no borders.”
“A victory for politics” over ecology
If this is a pre-designation, it seems unlikely that Fifa will change its mind. “It’s a victory of politics and economics in the face of societal issues, which once again unfortunately are relegated to the background. “It’s a decision so as not to offend the candidates in the running.” regrets Aurélien François.
This announcement came as a big surprise in the sports world. “At some point we will play on Everest because we can create a playground there and market it. The period when one or two countries could look forward to organizing a World Cup was very good. It was easy to organize and there were short trips, which probably won’t happen again, which is a shame, even stupid.” said Marco Rose, Leipzig coach, at a press conference on Wednesday, after their defeat (1-3) against Manchester City in the Champions League.“It’s totally inconsistent. slice Antoine Miche, from Football Ecologie France. We are going to increase plane travel, especially for supporters and teams.”
“We know that the carbon footprint of such an event is 80% due to transport, particularly airplanes. Obviously on three continents, this will multiply them even more, with inevitably an explosion in gas emissions greenhouse effect.”
Antoine Miche, founder and general director of Football Ecologie Franceat franceinfo: sport
The announcement surprises Antoine Miche all the more as current reflections focus more on the “reduction in the frequency of competitions, particularly international competitions, to five years instead of four years”, or even “reduce the number of teams participating”. “I really thought there would be, not a U-turn, but at least a brake [à cette candidature], regrets Aurélien François, teacher-researcher at the University of Rouen. Because the IOC met recently to consider the question of host countries capable of hosting the Winter Games, based on snow conditions and temperatures verified below zero for ten years, and which would allow the allocation of the next host cities for the Olympic Games. I thought that the major authorities would follow this trend, or at least think about it, but the fact is that no.”
Question of water and creation of stadiums
If only three matches will be played in South America, as well as the opening ceremony being held in Uruguay to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first Football World Cup in 1930 in this country, this still represents the displacement of numerous teams and staff, as well as thousands of supporters.
Not to mention the question of temperatures on site in the summer of 2030, the water reserves available to water the lawns or even the creation of stadiums. “In the carbon footprint, the second most polluting item after transport is the creation of stadiums. This requires a lot of raw materials and transport,” notes Antoine Miche.
Football and its duty to set an example
As the world’s leading sport, football, according to the experts interviewed, has a duty to set an example in this area. “However, today, football is rather the opposite, with a prism which is above all economic and which does not take into account its future. The planet is its playing field, literally and figuratively. If the planet is not livable because our actions are the opposite of that, clearly there will be no more football“, agrees Antoine Miche, founder and general director of Football Ecologie France.
“We would dream that the sporting world, and in this case Fifa, would set an example on the subject, remarks Arnaud Saurois, associate lecturer at the University of Poitiers. If the choice of host cities is based on countries already equipped in terms of infrastructure, and going where the spectators are without them needing to travel to attend the matches, we could say that there is interesting things. Unfortunately, we know that in reality, we will increase travel and therefore increase the carbon footprint of this type of event. continues this specialist, who regrets that the world of football missed this meeting to show the way.
“Because despite everything, sport remains a micro-subject, but a very influential micro-subject in the world.”
Arnaud Saurois, associate lecturer, at the University of Poitiersat franceinfo: sport
For experts, this pre-designation leads us to think about the model of international competitions in this context of preserving the planet. “Shouldn’t we go through the creation of an external agency which ensures societal and environmental guarantees for the attribution of major events? Because, as long as there will always be, within these organizations, tensions between the economic and the political, this unfortunately risks once again prevailing. advances Aurélien François.
Above all, the question of the future arises today. “The reality of the planet will change things, if in a few years, we have new regulations and constraints, warns Antoine Miche. If in 2030 in Portugal, Spain, or Morocco, it is fifty degrees during the day, there will be no competition. Or else, air-conditioned stadiums will be needed. But here we return to the question of Qatar.” For him, moreover, what is emerging for 2030 “is not at all feasible. The planet will be hotter and hotter, with more and more storms and other climatic events, and regulations will inevitably evolve, he concludes, because states will not be able to consider that this type of competition will be logical in 2030.”