Insane stats laid bare as FIFA boss’ crazy schedule revealed
Multiple flights in a single day. 95,403 kilometres. More than 100 hours in the air.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino got some serious air time over the course of the 2026 World Cup, the tournament’s most far-flung edition ever.
Gianni Infantino has been everywhere during the World Cup. AP Photo/Ashley Landis
He criss-crossed North America for matches, meetings and other appearances during the competition, which took place in three countries, 16 cities and four time zones. He ended his travel bonanza with Monday’s final in New Jersey.
Flight logs were watched closely and their analysis shows that by the time Spain defeated Argentina for the world title, he flew far enough to circle the planet almost 2.5 times.
Access to a Gulfstream G650 jet from the fleet of the Qatari government made Infantino’s prodigious jet-setting possible. The aircraft is operated by the private charter division of Qatar Airways, a World Cup sponsor.
Since the first match, the aircraft averaged more than one flight a day and on multiple days made more than three, according to tracking site FlightAware.
44 matches
The number of World Cup matches Infantino attended during the tournament.
He was at a World Cup game on 31 of the tournament’s 34 match days but managed to squeeze in two matches on some days.
115 flight hours
The flight time the Gulfstream amassed during the tournament equals nearly five full days in the air and would be enough for a commercial plane travelling at typical cruising speed to fly from New York to Los Angeles 20 times.
95,403 kilometres
The distance the jet travelled during the tournament, according to AP analysis.
That’s more than round-trip flights between New York and Singapore, Los Angeles and Doha, Qatar, and London and Perth combined.
FIFA has pledged to reduce carbon emissions from the World Cup and related activities by half into 2030 and has committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2040.
Spain flying home with the trophy. Getty Images
The organisation’s 2026 World Cup sustainability and human rights strategy says it is committed to addressing climate change. These stats are not exactly reminiscent of a carbon-neutral mega-event.
Climate researchers and environmental groups have argued that the expanded, three-country tournament was likely to produce the most atmosphere-polluting greenhouse gases of any World Cup because of the extensive air travel required for teams, fans and officials.
The next World Cup, set to be in Morocco, Portugal and Spain - with special matches in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay - will have the same cross-country element. Just this time, across continents as well.
