As national football teams are securing their final places at the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will take place in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, nations are gathered in Belém, Brazil, on a different kind of world stage – the COP30.
Despite what many may think, these talks taking place at the climate conference in Belém are incredibly relevant to football fans, as battles on the pitch may be the least of their worries in the coming years.
According to the organization Football for Future, the infrastructure for the tournament is not adapted to the changing weather conditions caused by the climate crisis. They emphasize that 14 out of 16 stadiums are not suited to handle the increasingly extreme climate conditions across the Americas.
DanChurchAid has joined forces with Football for Future and Common Goals to highlight the urgent need for climate adaptation—not only for football stadiums but across the entire world, especially in the poorest countries.
Jonas Nøddekær, Secretary General, DanChurchAid says the climate crisis is already here and the consequences are alarming and this is also evident in the world of football, especially in the world’s poorest countries
“Together with Football for Future and Common Goals, we are now launching a series of campaign videos under the title ‘One Game. One Planet’ to highlight the need for climate adaptation”, said Jonas Nøddekær,
Mattias Söderberg, the DanChurchAid’s climate adviser, who is currently present at the COP30 negotiations in Brazil, where he is pushing for climate adaptation to be given higher priority says that the world’s politicians are not defending the planet the way football players defend their goal – and that is why it is crucial that everyone with a voice speaks up about the need for climate adaptation. “The threat to the world of football may very well mobilize many people in the fight for climate action”, he added.
Professional footballer and DanChurchAid ambassador Sofie Junge notes that; “There is one game we cannot afford to lose, and that is the climate fight.”
