Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoUNFCCC / FIFA WORLD CUP 2026
STORY: UNFCCC / FIFA WORLD CUP 2026
TRT: 3:55
SOURCE: UNFCCC
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT IFAD, FAO, UNICEF, WFP, UNEP, UNDP FOOTAGE ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: PLEASE CHECK THE SHOTLIST FOR DETAILS
FILE - IFAD - 16 -17 OCTOBER 2024, MASAVINGO PROVINCE, ZIMBABWE
1. Various shots, cracked earth, dry soil view
UNFCCC – 2 JUNE 2026, BONN, GERMANY
2. SOUNDBITE (English) UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell
“We’re all watching the game, but it’s stopped – because it’s too hot.
Hot for players, for fans, for everyone. It’s hot and getting hotter. That’s not random. That’s climate change. The planet is heating up after more than a century of burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. That traps heat in the atmosphere. And now we’re feeling it – everywhere.”
FILE - UNICEF - AUGUST 2020, NOVO PROGRESSO, PARA, BRAZIL
3. Aerial shot, smoke and flames rising from the fire in the Amazon rainforest
FILE - FAO - 23 JANUARY 2025, BETHANCHOWK, KAVREPALANCHOWK, NEPAL
4. Aerial shot, wildfires at night
UNFCCC - 2 JUNE 2026, BONN, GERMANY
5. SOUNDBITE (English) UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell
“On the pitch, at every level – from the highest levels of international football to the grassroots game – it means more extreme heat. More fatigue. Harder decisions, slower reactions, players and fans in the red zone. And it’s not just the things we love, like football and the many other sports under serious pressure from global heating. It's also the things we need – like food, as global heating hits harvests and pushes up prices for everyone.”
FILE - WFP - SEPTEMBER 2022, GUATEMALA
6. Wide shot, a corn field in the Chiquimula department
UNFCCC - 2 JUNE 2026, BONN, GERMANY
7. SOUNDBITE (English) UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell
“The current fossil fuel crisis is hitting billions of people in every country with much higher costs. The good news is that we know how to fix the climate crisis. Kick the dependence on planet-heating fossil fuels…”
FILE - UNICEF - BISHKEK, KYRGYZSTAN
8. Various shots, city of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, which has been recognized as one of the most polluted cities.
FILE - UNEP - 15 OCTOBER 2025, INDIA
9. Various shots, industrial plants
UNFCCC - 2 JUNE 2026, BONN, GERMANY
10. SOUNDBITE (English) UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell
“…and move much faster to clean energy. Solar and wind power are now much cheaper and safer than fossil fuels. Better ways to travel, build and power our lives. And sport is already stepping up: cutting fossil fuel pollution, taking action.”
FILE - UNDP - RECENT, LATAKIA, SYRIA
11. Various shots, engineers working on solar panels
FILE - UNDP - 2023, BATTAMBANG, CAMBODIA
12. Various shots, solar panels used to pump water for irrigation
UNFCCC - 2 JUNE 2026, BONN, GERMANY
13. SOUNDBITE (English) UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell
“Sport is the world’s greatest unifying force, and football is the world’s biggest sport. If people who love football speak up to protect it from climate impacts like extreme heat, it will be a game-changer. Because this isn’t just about saving sport. It’s about protecting the world sport depends on – that we all depend on. So next time you see a drinks break, or a match delayed by extreme heat, remember why. Coal, oil and gas are heating our planet. And remember this: the health of the game – and of our world – depends on the choices we make now.”
UNEP - 2026, AZERBAIJAN
14. Various shots, green infrastructure
In a message linked to the FIFA World Cup 2026, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell warned that extreme heat caused by climate change is increasingly disrupting football and everyday life around the world.
He said rising temperatures are the result of more than a century of burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, which trap heat in the atmosphere. On the pitch, this means more fatigue, slower reactions and dangerous conditions for players and fans alike.
Stiell stressed that climate change is not only threatening sport, but also food systems, livelihoods and global economic stability. He said billions of people are already facing the impacts of the fossil fuel crisis.
At the same time, he emphasized that solutions already exist, including a faster shift to clean energy like solar and wind power. He also highlighted the role of sport as a powerful force for unity and action, saying football can help drive global awareness and climate action.
Referring to match delays and drinks breaks caused by extreme heat, Stiell urged audiences to remember the cause: “Coal, oil and gas are heating our planet.” He concluded that the future of both football and the wider world depends on the choices made today.
