This week, FIFA has come under fire for trying to privatise the World Cup. And now, FIFA president Infantino aims to rush through an expansion of the 2030 World Cup to a whopping 64 teams. This is a short-sighted, money-making, climate-wrecking plan. 🧵 www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Fifa rapidly accelerates plan to expand World Cup to 64 teams from 2030 tournament

Fifa has accelerated plans to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams and opened a tender to research companies to assess the economic benefits quickly

theguardian.com

FIFA president Gianni Infantino is facing heavy leadership challenges after he ditched his controversial World Cup sell-off plan. 💰 Now more than ever, FIFA must drop their polluting sponsors and start protecting the future of football.  www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Gianni Infantino ‘has lost Uefa’s confidence’ after Fifa chief scraps World Cup sell-off plan

Gianni Infantino ‘has lost the confidence’ of Uefa following his aborted project to sell off the World Cup to private investors, European football’s governing body has said

theguardian.com

⏪ This week Ekaterina Alexandrova collapsed in 34C heat at the Memphis Classic. This marks the third high-profile heat safety incident in elite tennis this year. 🧵 1/6

Ekaterina Alexandrova: Russian tennis player collapses on court amid 34C heat

World number 19 Ekaterina Alexandrova collapses on court and had to retire from her first-round match at the Memphis Classic due to high temperatures.

bbc.com

📢 Many athletes want to speak out on climate breakdown but are faced with being called hypocrites or lacking in expertise. Oxford University is helping cultivate the next generation of climate leaders in sport. 🔗 Share the application with your favourite athlete or tag them.

Join our community of climate leaders - Climate Leadership Research Centre

The Oxford Climate Leadership Research Centre is recruiting a cohort of influential leaders from politics, business and sport who want to play a bigger role in addressing climate change. Through membe...

leadership.climate.ox.ac.uk

Cool Down@cooldownnetwork.bsky.social · 6d ago

Athletes are among society's most influential. Yet, despite caring deeply about the climate crisis, many feel unable to speak out. In a pioneering new programme, Oxford University is helping athletes step into climate leadership. 👇 Share the application 👉 leadership.climate.ox.ac.uk/join-us/

🚨 The World Cup is officially for sale. 🏆💰 Fifa President Gianni Infantino is trying to sell a 20% stake in Fifa competitions to private investors. Here's how FIFA corruption, a strange orange man and petrostates all intersect. 🧵 1/9

Fifa World Cup plans: First lot of private cash could be received by end of October

Fifa could bank first lot of private World Cup cash by end of October as European football's governing body Uefa will hold a meeting of all 55 member associations on Thursday afternoon to discuss its ...

bbc.com

Wildfires have been burning across Europe - causing mass evacuations and grounding flights. The impact on holidaymakers isn’t without its irony - as the aviation industry remains one of the biggest polluters and a key opponent of climate action. theguardian.com/environment/...

Revealed: ‘extremely concerning’ industry influence over UN aviation body

Exclusive: Firms outnumber green groups at environmental talks, with related events sponsored by fossil fuel companies

theguardian.com

🚨 Tour de France's final stage was shortened by 50km due to escalating wildfire emergency. This marked the second stage of this year's race cut short by extreme weather. Yet the sport's top brass remains climate blind. 🧵 1/6

Tour de France organisers shorten final route amid France wildfire emergency

Sunday’s procession to Paris has been truncated by nearly 50km after security forces were redeployed to relieve overwhelmed fire services

independent.co.uk

NEW PIECE: Spain's World Cup quarter-final began with a minute's silence for victims of deadly wildfires. Seconds later, screens lit up with Aramco's branding. As fossil fuelled wildfires raged back home, Spain's young stars were used to sell more oil. 🧵 1/6

As fossil fuelled heatwaves and wildfires kill back home, Spain’s young stars are being used to sell more oil — Cool Down

The stadium fell silent in memory of wildfire victims before Spain’s World Cup quarter final. Seconds later, giant screens lit up in the green and blue branding of Aramco, the world’s biggest oil comp...

cooldownclimate.org

The 2026 World Cup directly increased demand for fossil fuels. In a new report, the World Cup is revealed to have increased the brand value of the world's largest fossil fuel company by 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗨𝗦 𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀. Here's the story. 🧵 1/6 maaal.com/en/news/deta...

2026 World Cup Sponsors Achieve $61 Billion in Brand Value from $2.8 Billion in Sponsorship Investments

A private deal was executed on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) today, Wednesday, involving 327,034 shares of the National Commercial Bank (SNB) at a…

maaal.com

"Concerning the climate crisis... there is a rule of silence, as deeply rooted in cycling culture as the old omertá about doping.” In a seismic interview, a pro cyclist speaks out - under condition of anonymity - on the sport's fossil fuel sponsor problem. 🧵 1/6

Pro cyclist opens up about fossil fuel sponsorship amid sweltering Tour

Cycling, with its shady, drug-suffused past, has a long history of awkward silences and unfathomable omissions. As the world warms and blistering temperatures affect the Tour de France, an eerily fami...

cyclingweekly.com

Spain may have lifted the trophy, but the real World Cup winners are the polluting companies whose adverts filled every stadium during the tournament.  www.cooldownclimate.org/latest/world...

WORLD CUP 2026: a tournament we can't ignore — Cool Down

Here’s all the resources you need to get clued up on the most polluting World Cup ever.

cooldownclimate.org

When Hurricane Melissa hit Haiti, football pitches became emergency hubs. Not because of the grass. But because of the trust built there over years. A powerful piece from Kathy McAllister of @goalshaiti on why sport is about far more than sport. 👇 1/6 www.cooldownclimate.org/latest/when-...

When the storm came, trust was our greatest asset — Cool Down

Kathy McAllister, executive director of GOALS Haiti, describes life after Hurricane Melissa, the recovery for grassroots sport and the power of trust.

cooldownclimate.org

In a historic first, a recent stage of the Tour de France was shortened due to extreme heat. 🔥🚴‍♂️ Yet the tournament is still sponsored by polluting industries fuelling this crisis. ⛽️ www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/j...

Tadej Pogacar urges radical overhaul of Tour de France amid stifling heatwave

Tadej Pogacar called for radical change to the professional racing calendar after another day of stifling temperatures, as Mathieu van der Poel won the ninth stage

theguardian.com

🚨 NEW REPORT: FIFA's World Cup isn't only promoting fossil fuels. It's also promoting aviation. Our new briefing estimates FIFA's sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways could induce 3.7 million tonnes of CO₂e in additional greenhouse gas emissions. www.cooldownclimate.org/latest/the-w...

The World Cup's biggest climate cost isn't the tournament - it's the sponsors — Cool Down

New analysis finds that FIFA's deals with just four high-carbon sponsors - led by fossil fuel giant Aramco - could drive over four times more climate pollution than the tournament itself.

cooldownclimate.org

🚨 NEW REPORT: FIFA's biggest climate impact isn't flights or stadiums. It's promoting polluters. Our new briefing finds FIFA's deal with Aramco alone is estimated to induce 34.7 million tonnes of CO₂e – almost 4x the emissions of the entire World Cup. www.cooldownclimate.org/latest/the-w...

The World Cup's biggest climate cost isn't the tournament - it's the sponsors — Cool Down

New analysis finds that FIFA's deals with just four high-carbon sponsors - led by fossil fuel giant Aramco - could drive over four times more climate pollution than the tournament itself.

cooldownclimate.org

In his latest film for The New Weather Institute and The Cool Down Network, Matt Rendell tells the story that lead to FC Barcelona cutting ties with their high-polluting, socially divisive oil company Gran Tierra Energy. youtu.be/rEkSyLcbjuQ

Barćawash

YouTube video by Badvertising

youtu.be

As mega polluter and World Cup sponsor Saudi Aramco covers Houston with their adverts, their oil refinery in another Texas city is poisoning local communities. www.theguardian.com/football/202...

‘This is a hellhole’: Aramco makes its presence hurt in the shadow of the World Cup

The oil giant’s sponsorship deal with Fifa has featured prominently at matches in Houston. But 100 miles away in another Texas city, residents say the firm’s refinery is exposing them to poisonous gas...

theguardian.com

Coming soon - “Barçawash”, a new investigative film from Matt Rendell. Around the world, FC Barcelona’s charitable wing uses sport as a tool to support vulnerable children and young people. But its good work is undermined by its partnerships with mega polluters.

From the top down, this World Cup is the most polluting ever. ⚽💨 Fifa president Gianni Infantino has already spent 66 hours in his private jet. The climate impact? Roughly equivalent to the emissions of 78 ordinary people over an 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿... In two weeks. 😬

World Cup 2026: How Fifa president Gianni Infantino is jetting around

Gianni Infantino has clocked up thousands of air miles across North America so far.

bbc.co.uk

Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia is the David vs Goliath game of the 2026 World Cup. ⚽️ The small island nation is highly vulnerable to climate impacts, and this weekend they face a petrostate whose oil company is sponsoring the tournament. 👉Learn more at www.cooldownclimate.org

An association of London cabbies are calling on Wimbledon organisers to swap their SUV fleet for existing transport options.  The LTDA’s calls came amid rising concerns about the safety risks these high-carbon vehicles pose on our streets.  www.thetimes.com/uk/london/ar...

London cabbies tell Wimbledon to ditch ‘unsafe’ SUVs for player transport

A taxi drivers’ association urges the All England Lawn Tennis Club to recognise growing concerns about the vehicles

thetimes.com

𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗔𝗜𝗚𝗡 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗘: Baroness Natalie Bennett tabled amendments to ban fossil fuelled sports sponsorship. ⚽️💨 "With this bill, we have the opportunity to ensure that the biggest events in this country that we host do not become a vehicle for greenwashing." (1/5) @nataliegreenpeer.bsky.social

🚨 New analysis finds that two World Cup matches have already been played in dangerous heat. The games were played in temperatures that FIFPro - the players' union - have said should mean they were delayed or postponed. (1/6)

Two World Cup matches were played in ‘severe heat’, analysis finds

Games in Miami and Monterrey were at heat level a players’ union had warned in the past should trigger delays

theguardian.com

🚨CAMPAIGN WIN 🚨 The Italian city of Monza - home to some of the most famous Formula One circuits - has banned fossil fuel advertising. 🎉 This makes Monza the third city in Italy to ban polluter ads, and one of over 50+ globally. 🧵 1/7

Monza dice stop alla pubblicità di combustibili fossili

Il Consiglio comunale di Monza approva la mozione per vietare le pubblicità di petrolio, gas e carbone. Maggioranza compatta, protestano le opposizioni.

mbnews.it

🚨 Fifa President Gianni Infantino using private jet to watch two World Cup matches per day. This is an absurd 'solution' to an equally absurd problem - the World Cup taking place across three countries. 🧵 1/7

Infantino using private jet in attempt to watch two World Cup matches per day

Fifa president sets gruelling itinerary across North America in a World Cup expected to generate about 9m tons of carbon dioxide

theguardian.com

As the first full week of the 2026 World Cup begins, labour advocates and researchers are warning extreme heat is putting workers at risk.  Yet FIFA is still partnering with the high-polluting company responsible for these sweltering temperatures.  www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

‘It’s going to be extremely hot’: workers imperiled as sweltering World Cup temperatures are forecast

It could top 90F in several cities hosting World Cup games – and workers could pay the price with their health

theguardian.com

Since Aramco is advertising itself pitchside on the world's biggest stage, here's a reminder that it has caused more planet-heating carbon emissions than any other corporation in history carbonmajors.org

Never before has a World Cup started amidst so much controversy. Banning water bottles, blocking a referee from entering the country, huge direct emissions, extreme heat AND being sponsored by the world's most polluting oil company. 🫨 1/2 Full story. 👇

FIFA World Cup: Climate Is The Loser - Highest Impact Ever

The FIFA 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Mexico and Canada has highest climate emissions ever. Here's why - and positive examples on how football and soccer can be greener.

forbes.com

The 2026 World Cup kicks off tonight. ⚽️ And Politically Aweh are here to tackle the issues facing the most polluting World Cup ever. From FIFA’s big oil sponsor to cooling breaks and soaring temperatures, watch the full video to learn more. youtu.be/kgBYYLP9j-w?...

The Oil Company Sponsoring the Hottest World Cup Ever | Politically Aweh

YouTube video by Politically Aweh

youtu.be

It’s day one of the 2026 World Cup. ⚽️ And FIFA and Aramco remain committed to polluting the beautiful game. 💨 Watch our short film “Love Football, Hate Pollution” to hear from fans about their earliest memories of football against a backdrop of climate inaction from FIFA.👇