December 4 – On the eve of the FIFA World Cup draw, Dutch-based non-governmental organisation Fossil Free Football has taken aim at the world governing body and President Gianni Infantino with a satirical ‘Football Climate Impact Prize’.
The award ‘honours’ FIFA’s commitment to ‘expanding football’s impact on the world’s climate.’ The ‘award’ is in response to FIFA’s Peace Prize that will be awarded to U.S. President Donald Trump at the draw on Friday.
Fossil Free Football emphasised FIFA’s sponsorship deal with Aramco and pointed to the supersized 2026 World Cup, staged in three countries with 48 teams, which could lead to a mammoth carbon footprint.
The NGO’s comments, unsurprisingly, were highly critical of FIFA and its president: “He once held up a “green card for the planet”, declared that FIFA would halve its emissions by 2030 and committed to ‘promote responsible consumption’ as a member of the UN Sports For Climate Action Framework.
“His claim that the Qatar World Cup was ‘carbon neutral’ was ruled “misleading” by a Swiss regulator while the much publicised ‘donation’ of a ‘recyclable’ stadium never actually occurred.” Fossil Free Football claims FIFA has “ensured the world’s favourite sport is a mere plaything for oil-funded authoritarians.”
On its website, FIFA writes that the organisation’s climate strategy consists of four pillars, including the reduction of carbon emissions. At the recent European Football Clubs (EFC) general assembly in Rome, Infantino acknowledged as well that climate change could force football to rethink the calendar.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at [email protected]