Some journalists apparently lie awake at night trying to figure out how to connect climate change to anything.

That may sound unfair, but it is difficult to reach any other conclusion after reading Yahoo Sports’ claim that “Climate change is the silent referee of the World Cup.” The article warns that the 2026 tournament may become the “most polluting World Cup in history” and treats one of humanity’s largest sporting events as a climate morality tale rather than what it is: a soccer tournament.