FIFA President Gianni Infantino took private jets 10 times within a single week during the 2026 World Cup to attend matches across multiple North American cities, reports show [1, 2, 3]. The tournament is jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, featuring an expanded field of 48 teams playing 104 matches [1, 2, 3].

Infantino’s frequent use of private planes is part of a longer pattern; an investigative report from 2024 revealed he had flown 600,000 km via private jet over three years before the tournament [1, 2]. According to the French carbon footprint company Greenly, "just one hour in this plane emits roughly what an average human being emits in an entire year" [2].

Greenly estimates that if Infantino maintains his travel pace through the round of 16 and quarterfinals, his private jet could emit between 300 to 500 tons of CO2 during the World Cup alone. This is equivalent to the annual carbon footprint of 35 to 55 average French people [1, 2, 3].

The tournament’s large geographic spread across three countries forces extensive long-distance flights between matches. David Gogishvili, a geographer at the University of Lausanne, said FIFA’s model "is structurally dependent on high-emission air travel" because it reuses existing stadiums across a continent. He added that Infantino’s private jet travel "perfectly reflects the broader systemic issue" [2].

Environmental groups have also criticized the practice. John Hocevar, Oceans Campaign Director at Greenpeace USA, said frequent private jet usage by executives "doesn’t exactly show a commitment to genuine climate responsibility" [2]. Greenpeace USA has called out the travel as contradictory to climate goals [1, 2, 3].

FIFA defended Infantino’s travel by saying executives choose between private jets and commercial flights based on efficiency and cost-effectiveness, with all costs covered by the organization [1, 2, 3]. Data from the 2022 World Cup showed 1,846 private jets landed in Qatar, an unusually high number for a single sporting event, indicating a pattern of extensive private jet use during FIFA competitions [1].

Reports on Infantino’s 2026 World Cup jet travel surfaced on June 21, amid ongoing tournament coverage [1, 2, 3]. The World Cup continues with multiple matches scheduled over the coming weeks.