FIFA President Infantino Flew 60,000 Miles on Private Jet During World Cup

FIFA President Gianni Infantino accumulated nearly 60,000 miles of travel on a private business jet during the 2026 World Cup, a tournament spanning three countries, 16 cities, and four time zones. This extensive travel, which involved over 100 hours in the air, allowed Infantino to attend matches, meetings, and other appearances across North America. The analysis of flight logs for a Gulfstream G650 jet, provided by the Qatari government and operated by Qatar Airways, revealed an average of more than one flight per day since June 9, with some days featuring over three flights.

Infantino's itinerary included attending matches and participating in events such as an interview on Fox & Friends in New York and a FIFA summit in Miami. His travel also extended to Doha, where he attended the funeral of Qatar's former emir, before returning to the United States for the World Cup semifinals. The total distance flown is equivalent to circling the Earth approximately 2.5 times by the tournament's conclusion.

The 2026 World Cup itself is notable for its record 104 matches and the largest geographic footprint in its history, covering the United States, Canada, and Mexico. FIFA did not provide a comment regarding Infantino's travel schedule and arrangements when contacted by The Associated Press. The flight-tracking data from FlightAware was used to corroborate the extensive mileage covered by the FIFA President.