A new report says that the claims that the World Cup will be carbon neutral are misleading.
Carbon Market Watch says the World Cup won't achieve a net-zero carbon footprint, despite claims that it would be the first.
Researchers believe that calculations ignore major sources of emissions.
Organisers said it was speculative and inaccurate to draw conclusions from their commitment.
In September, organisers detailed how they would deliver the first "carbon-neutral Fifa World Cup in the history of the event".
They pointed to the compact nature of the tournament, use of renewable energy at the eight stadiums, and use of solar power in the country during the World Cup.
The World Cup is on track to be carbon-neutral, according to a spokesman for the Supreme Committee for Delivery.
The methodology used to calculate the carbon-neutral commitment was designed to be based on actual activity data after the World Cup. This will be published and any discrepancies will be explained.
No other country has engaged so deeply with its citizens to ensure a sustainable legacy is left behind after a World Cup.
The author of the report says the carbon neutrality claim is not credible and that the emissions from the World Cup will be higher than expected.
The event itself is carbon neutral. Even if the accounting had been done correctly, it still gives a false sense of achievement because we can continue to host this mega event every four years at no significant cost to the climate.
This gives a false idea to the general public and fans attending, so the policy makers need to communicate correctly about the impact of these events, putting the measures in place to reduce emissions but then still be clear about the fact that these events come at a cost. We need to be transparent.
The report shows an underestimation of emissions associated with building new stadiums, with seven of the eight venues having been built from scratch and the other one extensively redeveloped.
It also questions the credibility and independence of the carbon credits scheme created for the tournament.
The emissions that will be unavoidable while preparing for and hosting the tournament will be offset through investing in internationally recognised and certified carbon credits.
The decision to transparently and proactively offset carbon emissions should be acknowledged.
The report said the World Cup would produce up to 3.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, which is more than some nations produce in a year.
According to the International Energy Agency, the Democratic Republic of the Congo produced less than three million tonnes of CO2 in the year.
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