FIFA president Gianni Infantino has come under fire for his travel carbon footprint during the Men’s World Cup 2026, after flying so much by private jet that he appeared to abandon FIFA’s climate commitments.
The controversial president of the international federation has had his movements by private jet during the tournament tracked by BBC Sport and BBC Verify. They found he had racked up thousands of air miles going from match to match, generating a similar climate impact in the first two weeks of the competition to that of 78 people during an entire year.
One of the biggest days, the BBC reported, was 15 June, when he flew 5,500 km, going from America’s southeast in Miami to the northwest in Seattle for Belgium’s encounter with Egypt, then heading south to Los Angeles where he attended Iran v New Zealand.
What’s more, the climate implications of the 2026 World Cup are particularly severe since the tournament takes place not in one country, but across a whole continent, from Mexico to Canada. Despite teams being hosted regionally to reduce their travel, and notwithstanding FIFA’s supposed promotion of electric vehicles, public transport, and use of existing stadiums, Infantino and fans too have been doing far more air travel than during a regular World Cup event.
A 2025 report from Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) put the overall carbon footprint of this World Cup as high as nine million tonnes of CO2e, twice as much as the average for the past four events, making this year’s the most polluting ever.
The BBC analysis showed that Infantino’s private jet, reportedly a Gulfstream G650ER, had travelled at least 50,122 km, clocking up over 66 hours of airtime, from the start of the competition to 27 June alone. The plane’s average fuel burn rate of roughly 1,817 litres an hour means those journeys emitted an estimated 516 tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e), based on UK government conversion data. The average carbon emissions for one person in a year total, meaning Infantino’s jet use during that fortnight period generated as much carbon as 78 people in a year. (The BBC reporting does acknowledge, however, that up to 19 people could be flying on the jet, though the actual number of passengers on board with Infantino for the various trips is not known.)
It’s arguable that as FIFA’s president, Infantino has a duty to attend as many matches as possible to meet dignitaries and officials and support the teams taking part. A FIFA spokesperson has defended the travel as routine.
@foot__jr_ Gianni Infantino during the World Cup so he doesn't miss any match FIFA World Cup 2026 has matches spread across dozens of stadiums across North America, yet somehow the FIFA President is present at what feels like every single game. One day he's in one city, a few hours later he's at another stadium hundreds or even thousands of miles away, and by the next kickoff he's already there again. At this point, I'm done trying to understand the logistics. Fans are debating tactics and refereeing decisions, while I'm just trying to figure out what kind of teleportation technology this man has unlocked.
♬ original sound – Foor Jr
But critics point out Infantino has regularly travelled around 4,000 km in one day, an approach to the tournament that seems to be at odds with his stated position on climate change. In the federation’s 2026 World Cup sustainability and human rights strategy, the president said: “Whether we speak about climate, human rights, diseases, or disabilities, we are committed to play our part.” As a body, FIFA has pledged to cut its emissions by half and hit net-zero before 2040.
For Infantino, the disquiet over emissions adds to the controversy building around his relationship with another fan of private jets, President Donald Trump. The FIFA president is accused of having succumbed to pressure from the president over a red card issued to US star player Flo Balogun. The red card should have precluded Balogun from playing the next match with Belgium but, after an admitted intervention from Trump, Balogun’s ban was lifted (though in the end, it did not prevent Belgium from winning the crucial game). Some fans and stakeholders around the world are calling for Infantino’s resignation, but for now he continues his role, in the skies, and perhaps, on borrowed time.
