Gianni Infantino Faces Criticism Over Private Jet Use

The FIFA World Cup is being co-hosted by three nations—the United States, Mexico, and Canada—for the first time in the tournament’s history. Given the expansive scale of the event across multiple venues, both spectators and tournament officials face extensive travel demands to attend matches in different cities on the same day.

Consequently, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been utilizing a private jet to travel swiftly between host cities to attend multiple fixtures. Reports indicate that he frequently changes cities via aircraft to observe more than one match per day.

FIFA President’s Flight Itinerary and Matches

The opening match of the tournament took place on the night of 11 June at a stadium in Mexico City, where Mexico played against South Africa. On that same evening, Infantino travelled to Guadalajara to watch the fixture between South Korea and the Czech Republic. The distance between the two host cities is approximately 285 miles.

The following day, 12 June, the FIFA President was present in Los Angeles for the match between the United States and Paraguay. During the event, he was observed seated alongside the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. On 13 June, Infantino attended two separate matches in two different cities, travelling between San Francisco and Vancouver within a single day.

Following these fixtures, he attended a FIFA summit held in Miami. His subsequent itinerary included attending the Belgium versus Egypt match in Seattle, followed by the Iran versus New Zealand match in Los Angeles.

Summary of Infantino’s Tournament Travel

The chronological details of the FIFA President’s travel schedule and match attendance are outlined in the table below:

Host Agreements and Official FIFA Response

According to the host country agreements, charter flight provisions are available for high-ranking tournament officials, though the use of private jets is typically restricted. FIFA has issued a formal clarification regarding the President’s reliance on private aviation during the tournament.

The governing body stated that, depending on the constraints of the President’s official schedule, a combination of commercial flights and chartered or private aircraft is utilized. FIFA further clarified that all associated travel expenditures are fully covered by the organization.

Environmental Criticism from Greenpeace USA

Infantino’s frequent reliance on private aviation has drawn criticism from environmental advocates. The non-governmental environmental organization Greenpeace USA issued a statement addressing the matter.

The organization emphasized that utilizing private jets during a period of global climate crisis and severe heatwaves conveys a negative environmental message. The group highlighted that such practices by prominent global figures contradict sustainability efforts amidst ongoing environmental challenges.