FIFA's troubles at the 2026 World Cup showed no signs of slowing down. After facing criticism over empty seats, soaring ticket prices, and the tournament's environmental impact, FIFA president Gianni Infantino is now facing fresh backlash over his own travel habits.
The controversy centers on reports that Infantino has been using a private jet to attend multiple matches across North America, despite FIFA's repeated commitments to reducing emissions and making football more sustainable.
Highlights
- FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been facing severe backlash after reports revealed he has been using a private jet provided by Qatar Airways.
- The luxury travel arrangement has sparked heavy accusations of hypocrisy.
- This fresh controversy arrived as environmental groups labeled the expanded 2026 cross-continent tournament "the most polluting event ever."
The revelation has prompted accusations of hypocrisy and reignited debate about the true environmental cost of the tournament.
“Well he does have lots of tickets left,” one commenter joked.
Reports claimed Gianni Infantino has been flying by private jet between World Cup matches
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The criticism stems from Infantino's ambitious plan to attend as many World Cup games as possible during the tournament.
After appearing at the opening match in Mexico City, he reportedly flew to Guadalajara to watch South Korea defeat Czechia. The following day, he attended the United States' victory over Paraguay in Los Angeles before making appearances in San Francisco and Vancouver.
According to reports, Infantino hopes to attend two matches a day whenever possible.
That schedule is far more complicated than it was during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the longest distance between stadiums was only 46 miles.
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The current tournament stretches across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, spans four time zones, and includes stadiums located up to 2,800 miles apart.
To make those trips possible, reports stated that Infantino has access to a private jet provided by Qatar Airways through the airline's sponsorship agreement with FIFA.
The arrangement has drawn criticism because FIFA has spent years publicly promoting its climate goals.
The organization has pledged to make football climate-resilient and achieve net-zero emissions by 2040.
Critics accused the FIFA president of ignoring the message his organization promotes
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The reports quickly triggered criticism from football journalists, analysts, and fans.
Academy Coach Davis Matthews wrote on X, “Infantino is apparently taking in two WC games a day and using a private jet given to him by Qatar Airways as a value-in-kind element of its sponsorship deal with FIFA, with travel costs fully covered by the host committee. He's taking everyone for a ride.”
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire responded with a sarcastic hashtag, “#ManOfThePeople.”
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Florian Ederer also criticized the arrangement. “For people asking why FIFA, nominally a non-profit, is trying to maximise profits: This is what your ticket prices are paying for. A completely gratuitous waste of resources, further enabled by the Qatari regime.”
Another social media user, Mohamed Jinah Ali, wrote, “Finally this made news.”
The criticism intensified because FIFA has repeatedly spoken about sustainability while encouraging fans to think about the environmental impact of travel.
Fans also mocked the FIFA president as the story spread online
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Many supporters questioned why Infantino felt the need to attend so many matches in person.
“I'm surprised he even wants to watch the games, he always looks super bored when the camera cuts to him. Does he actually enjoy watching football?” one commenter wrote.
Others argued that football was not the main reason for the travel.
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“It's not to watch the games. It's to meet the people who will ultimately give him/FIFA more money,” another person claimed.
Some comments were even more blunt.
“He just needs to lie back and think of the money,” one fan wrote.
“Brother just wants to enjoy open corruption in peace, give him a break guys,” another joked.
The controversy came as experts warned about the tournament's environmental impact
The debate surrounding Infantino's travel habits arrived at a time when environmental groups are already scrutinizing the tournament.
The New Weather Institute recently described the 2026 World Cup as “the most polluting event ever.”
The organization estimates that the tournament could generate around 9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.
According to the report, approximately 7.7 million tonnes of that total could come from air travel alone.
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That figure is more than four times the average emissions produced by World Cups held between 2010 and 2022.
The expanded format of the tournament has played a major role in those projections.
Unlike previous editions held primarily within a single country, teams, officials, media, and supporters are now traveling across an entire continent.
As a result, transportation has become one of the biggest environmental concerns surrounding the competition.
A massive sponsorship deal has placed Qatar Airways at the center of the debate
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The private jet arrangement has also drawn attention to FIFA's relationship with Qatar Airways.
The airline remains one of FIFA's top commercial partners alongside brands including Adidas, Coca-Cola, Hyundai, Visa, Lenovo, and Aramco.
While the exact value of the sponsorship agreement has not been publicly disclosed, GlobalData Sport has estimated the deal to be worth roughly $487.5 million.
The partnership was renewed in 2023 and remains one of FIFA's most significant commercial agreements.
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Critics argue that the jet arrangement highlights the contradiction between FIFA's climate messaging and the realities of how the tournament operates behind the scenes.
Infantino has long positioned himself as a global ambassador for football, regularly meeting presidents, business leaders, and government officials around the world.
But as the World Cup continues, his travel schedule is becoming almost as heavily discussed as the matches themselves.
"He should take a hydration break," wrote one user
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