FIFA president Gianni Infantino traveled about 57,700 miles (93,000 km) by private jet during the 2026 World Cup, which was jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States from June to July 2026 [1, 2, 3]. The tournament featured 104 matches after an expansion to 48 teams, the highest number in World Cup history [1, 2, 3].
Infantino attended nearly half those matches, making multiple trips between venues in different countries, sometimes attending two matches in separate cities or countries on the same day—a total of 13 occasions [1, 2, 3]. He flew on a Qatar Airways-operated Gulfstream G650ER private jet for the duration of the tournament [1, 2, 3]. The total distance he covered is equivalent to 23 flights between Los Angeles and New York or more than twice circling the Earth's equator [1, 2, 3].
The longest single travel day for Infantino came on June 26, when he flew more than 5,500 miles (8,900 kilometers) visiting matches in Philadelphia, Miami, Dallas, Seattle, and returning to Miami in one day [1, 2, 3, 4]. Infantino relocated to Miami two years before the tournament and attended six matches there, the most at any single location [1, 2, 3].
Business Insider estimated an even higher total mileage of about 70,000 miles for Infantino during the 39-day event, with over 50 tracked private jet flights and around 140 hours spent onboard the jet [4]. Between the quarterfinals and semifinals in early July, Infantino made a four-leg trip to Qatar, about 11,500 miles, to pay condolences to the Qatari Emir [4].
Infantino said FIFA "will consider stretching the next tournament even further to include 64 teams," confirming plans to expand the field beyond 48 [1]. The 2030 World Cup will be co-hosted by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain [1, 2, 3].
Following the final matches on July 18, Infantino's extensive travel during the tournament underscored the logistical challenges of a World Cup spread over three countries and a greatly expanded match schedule [1, 2, 3].
