FIFA President Gianni Infantino logged nearly 60,000 miles aboard a private jet during the 2026 World Cup, a tournament that spanned three countries, 16 cities, and four time zones. The extensive travel, totaling more than 100 hours in the air, allowed Infantino to attend matches and events across North America. The analysis by The Associated Press used flight logs for a Gulfstream G650 jet utilized by Infantino, along with photographic evidence and social media posts.
The private jet is provided by the Qatari government and operated by Qatar Airways, a sponsor of the World Cup. Since the tournament's opening match on June 9, the aircraft averaged more than one flight per day, with some days seeing over three flights.
Infantino's itinerary included attending 44 matches across all 16 World Cup venues. He was present for games on 31 of the tournament's 34 match days, sometimes attending two matches in a single day, a feat he accomplished on 13 separate days. His travels also took him to New York for an interview and Miami for a FIFA summit. Additionally, Infantino flew to Doha to attend the funeral of Qatar's former emir before returning to the U.S. for the semifinals.
The analysis showed the Gulfstream jet made 23 international border crossings within North America by the semifinals. The total flight time during the tournament, excluding travel for the funeral in Qatar, reached 115 hours. The longest single flight, excluding the trip to Qatar, was a 5-hour and 44-minute journey from Miami to Seattle. The shortest flight, excluding repositioning, was a 28-minute hop from Seattle to Vancouver.
On June 26, Infantino's itinerary covered the most ground in a single day, with flights from Miami to Dallas, then to Seattle, and finally departing Seattle late that night and landing the next morning in Miami. The total distance flown during the tournament, excluding the Qatar trip, was 59,281 miles, equivalent to more than combined round-trip flights between New York and Singapore, Los Angeles and Doha, and London and Perth.
FIFA has stated commitments to reducing carbon emissions, pledging to halve emissions from World Cup activities by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2040. However, climate researchers and environmental groups have noted that the expanded, multi-country nature of the 2026 World Cup is likely to result in increased greenhouse gas emissions due to the extensive travel required for teams, fans, and officials.