Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president, has taken 27 private jet flights to attend 24 matches in just over two weeks of the men’s World Cup in North America – a travel schedule whose estimated climate impact is equivalent to that of 78 people over an entire year.
The tournament, spread across 16 host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico, has more matches than ever after an expanded group stage. And Infantino has been at the centre of it, often attending two games a day in cities hundreds of miles apart. On some days he has taken three separate flights.
“Fifa president Gianni Infantino took 27 private jet flights to 24 matches, climate impact equal to 78 people over a year.”
BBC Verify and BBC Sport tracked a private jet linked to Fifa and Infantino using plane-tracking data. The aircraft’s destinations matched published photographs of the Fifa boss at stadiums in the same cities on the same dates. The BBC asked Fifa to confirm the jet’s use but received no response. Infantino has been photographed using another Qatar Airways Executive jet before this tournament, and it has been reported he is flying in a Gulfstream G650ER at this World Cup.
The longest single flight was 2,800 miles (4,507km) from Vancouver to Miami on 13 June, after Infantino watched Australia play Turkey. On 22 June the jet flew just 92 miles (148km) from Philadelphia to Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. Infantino did not attend a game there but was interviewed the following morning at the Fox News studio in neighbouring New York, before flying on to matches in Boston and Toronto.
His most travel-heavy day came on 15 June, when he flew more than 2,700 miles (4,000km) from Miami to Seattle to watch Belgium play Egypt, then another 960 miles (1,545km) south to Los Angeles for Iran v New Zealand.
On 26 June the jet left Miami, stopped briefly in Dallas, continued to Seattle for the Egypt v Iran match, then returned to Miami – a round trip of 2,700 miles (4,345km). The next day, Infantino watched his 24th and final group‑stage match in Miami as Portugal played Colombia.
Fifa’s 2026 World Cup sustainability strategy, signed by Infantino, states: “Whether we speak about climate, human rights, diseases or disabilities, we are committed to play our part.”
So far, the private jet has travelled at least 31,144 miles.