FIFA president Gianni Infantino racked up almost 60,000 miles in the air travelling between matches during the record-breaking 2026 World Cup tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico, highlighting the sheer logistical challenge of the expanded competition.
An analysis of flight logs revealed Infantino, 53, flew for more than 115 hours as he visited 43 matches at all 16 stadiums up until Sunday’s final between Argentina and Spain at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with 21 airports visited and international borders crossed 23 times.
Infantino, on a Gulfstream G650 owned by a subsidiary of Qatar Airways, averaged more than one flight per day during the tournament and also popped out to the Qatar capital of Doha to attend the funeral of the former emir before flying back for the semi-finals.
In addition to his attendance at matches, the FIFA chief attended meetings, media opportunities, and official functions in North America.
Infantino’s heavy travel schedule comes after concerns have been raised about the environmental cost of the 48-team World Cup.
FIFA has promised to reduce the carbon emissions of its tournaments by 50 per cent by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2040, but activists say a three-nation hosting process will result in the most carbon-intensive tournament in history, largely on the back of so many air miles.
