Infantino's carbon footprint: President flies private jet while FIFA touts carbon-neutral World Cup

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been flying thousands of miles across North America to attend 24 matches in just over two weeks during the 2026 World Cup. The tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico across 16 cities, features an expanded format with 48 participating nations and a total of 104 matches, a substantial increase from the 64 games played in previous tournaments.

FIFA's sustainability strategy for the 2026 World Cup emphasizes its commitment to environmental and human rights issues. However, Infantino's travel arrangements appear to contradict these stated goals. Investigations by BBC Verify and BBC Sport tracked a private jet, reportedly linked to FIFA and Infantino, making 27 flights between tournament cities where the FIFA chief was photographed attending matches. This extensive air travel has drawn sharp criticism.

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Whether we are talking about climate, human rights, or disability, we are committed to playing our part.

According to estimates, the carbon footprint of Infantino's private jet during this two-week period is equivalent to the annual emissions of 78 average people. A single hour on the jet reportedly emits as much as an average person does in an entire year. This has led to accusations of hypocrisy, with critics pointing out the stark contrast between FIFA's public messaging on sustainability and the reality of its president's travel habits.

Geographer David Gvishiani from the University of Lausanne described FIFA's approach as a "sustainability paradox." He argued that by utilizing existing, geographically dispersed stadiums, FIFA created a model structurally dependent on high-emission air travel. Gvishiani believes Infantino's use of a private jet perfectly illustrates a broader systemic issue, normalizing hypermobility while externalizing the transport costs and carbon burden onto host regions and fans. Infantino sometimes attended two matches in different cities on the same day, covering over 4,000 kilometers daily, and reportedly flew three times on some days.

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By reusing existing, but geographically dispersed NFL stadiums across the continent, FIFA has created a model that is structurally dependent on high-emission air traffic. When FIFA leadership 'jumps' between matches by private jet, it perfectly reflects the broader systemic problem.