FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s travel during the 2026 World Cup has come under renewed scrutiny after reports detailed the extent of his use of private air travel throughout the tournament, prompting criticism from climate campaigners who questioned whether it aligned with FIFA’s own environmental commitments.According to reports, Infantino attended 44 of the tournament’s 104 matches between the opening game on June 11 and the final between Spain and Argentina on July 19. The expanded tournament was staged across 16 host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico, making it the largest and geographically widest World Cup in history.Infantino visited every host city during the competition, frequently attending more than one match per day.
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On several occasions during the group stage, he watched two matches in different cities, while some days reportedly involved three separate flights to accommodate his schedule.The extensive travel has attracted attention because of the environmental impact associated with private aviation, particularly as FIFA has repeatedly pledged to reduce its carbon footprint.
Flight data highlights environmental impact
According to the Mirror’s analysis of flight data, Infantino travelled approximately 106,323 kilometres (66,066 miles) during the tournament aboard a Gulfstream G650 private jet, producing an estimated 1,020.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e). This distance is roughly equivalent to circling the Earth almost three times, based on the planet’s circumference of about 40,075 kilometres.The BBC noted that the Gulfstream G650ER, the aircraft believed to have been used during the tournament, has an average fuel consumption of approximately 1,817 litres per hour. Using the UK government’s greenhouse gas conversion methodology, the broadcaster estimated the emissions produced during the group phase.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino signs autographs after Spain defeated France the World Cup semifinal soccer match in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Infantino has previously been photographed travelling aboard Qatar Airways Executive aircraft, while reports during this World Cup indicated he was again using a Gulfstream G650ER.
Expanded tournament increases travel demands
The 2026 edition marked the first World Cup featuring 48 teams and was jointly hosted by three countries, significantly increasing travel requirements for teams, officials, media and supporters.According to FIFA’s own environmental assessments, the tournament was projected to generate approximately nine million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, almost double the average recorded across World Cups staged between 2010 and 2022. Air travel represents the largest contributor to those emissions.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, centre, stands with United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, left, and Director of the FBI, Kash Patel ahead of the World Cup Group K soccer match between Colombia and Portugal in Miami Gardens, Fla., Saturday, June 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Despite those figures, FIFA has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2040.Ahead of the tournament, the governing body outlined several sustainability initiatives, including regionalising team accommodation to reduce long-haul travel where possible, promoting electric vehicles and public transport, improving energy efficiency and encouraging water conservation.The issue of FIFA’s environmental claims has previously attracted regulatory attention. In 2023, a Swiss regulator concluded that FIFA had made false statements by describing the 2022 Qatar World Cup as the first carbon-neutral tournament, after relying on carbon-offsetting measures. Following that ruling, FIFA said it recognised climate change as “one of the most pressing challenges of our time” and believed immediate, sustainable action was necessary.
Campaign groups question consistency
Several environmental organisations argued that Infantino’s travel choices undermined FIFA’s sustainability messaging.Frank Huisingh, founder of Fossil Free Football, said the private jet travel contrasted sharply with the conditions experienced by players and supporters during the tournament.“As players and supporters struggled through extreme heat, Infantino’s Qatari private jet took him from VIP box to VIP box across his bloated tournament,” Huisingh said.
President Donald Trump, left, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino attend the World Cup championship final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
“There could be no more perfect illustration for FIFA’s wilful blindness to the climate threats facing football and its fans.”Katie Cross, chief executive of sports sustainability charity Pledgeball, said the reported emissions reflected “a complete disregard for the longevity of the game, the players and the fans who make it.”Andrew Simms, director of the New Weather Institute, described the aircraft’s emissions as leaving behind “a cloud of contempt”, while Freddie Daley of the Cool Down Sport for Climate Action Network told BBC Sport that the apparent reliance on private aviation was “symptomatic of FIFA’s failings on the environment and sustainability.”Jenny Amann, a doctoral researcher at Loughborough University who studies supporters’ attitudes towards climate change and football, said interviews with fans consistently revealed criticism of FIFA’s leadership on environmental issues.She argued that Infantino’s reported travel emissions were “hundreds of times greater than the average European football fan produces in an entire year”, adding that such actions were unlikely to encourage supporters to adopt more sustainable behaviours.
FIFA defends president’s travel
FIFA has defended the president’s travel arrangements, maintaining that his schedule reflected official duties across a tournament spread over an entire continent.A FIFA spokesperson told BBC Sport that the president “routinely travels, together with relevant officials, on business and tournament-related matters and strives to visit member associations of FIFA whenever he can.”The spokesperson added that travel arrangements are made according to operational requirements.“Sometimes travel is organised on commercial, including low-cost—airlines and sometimes it is on private charter, depending on which is more efficient and cost-effective under the circumstances.”The governing body also stated that FIFA has established internal rules governing travel by its officials.Unlike the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Infantino attended all 64 matches across eight stadiums located within relatively short travelling distance of one another, the 2026 tournament presented far greater logistical challenges because of its expanded format and the vast distances separating host cities across North America.While the scale of Infantino’s travel has prompted renewed debate over football’s environmental impact, FIFA maintains that its long-term sustainability commitments remain unchanged as it continues pursuing its targets of halving emissions by 2030 and reaching net-zero by 2040.
