FIFA President Infantino faces criticism over private jet use during tournament

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has come under scrutiny over his use of private jet travel while attending matches and official events during the ongoing FIFA tournament being staged across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The competition marks the first time that the three North American nations have jointly hosted a FIFA World Cup. With matches taking place across multiple cities and countries, significant travel has become necessary for spectators, officials and tournament stakeholders seeking to attend events at different venues.

Against this backdrop, Infantino has been travelling between host cities to attend several matches and FIFA-related engagements. Critics have questioned his reliance on private jet travel, alleging that he has frequently moved between cities by air in order to watch multiple matches on the same day.

The tournament’s opening match took place on the night of 11 June at a stadium in Mexico City, where Mexico faced South Africa. Infantino attended the fixture before travelling later the same evening to Guadalajara to watch the match between South Korea and the Czech Republic. The distance between Mexico City and Guadalajara is approximately 285 miles.

The following day, he was present in Los Angeles for the match between the United States and Paraguay. During that fixture, he was seen alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

On 13 June, Infantino attended matches in two different cities on the same day. He travelled to San Francisco and later to Vancouver to watch separate fixtures. His schedule continued with participation in a FIFA summit in Miami, after which he attended the Belgium versus Egypt match in Seattle and later the Iran versus New Zealand match in Los Angeles.

Reported Travel Itinerary

Under tournament hosting arrangements, charter aircraft facilities are available for officials. However, the use of private jets is generally limited. FIFA stated that the president’s travel arrangements vary according to operational requirements and may involve either commercial flights or charter services. The organisation also stated that the associated travel expenses are covered by FIFA.

The issue has nevertheless attracted criticism from environmental campaigners. Greenpeace USA argued that the use of private jet travel sends a negative environmental message at a time when concerns over climate change, extreme weather events and rising temperatures remain prominent.

According to the organisation, the environmental impact of aviation continues to be a matter of public concern, particularly when high-profile figures undertake frequent air travel. Greenpeace USA cited the broader context of climate challenges in criticising the reported travel arrangements.

FIFA has maintained that the president’s travel schedule is determined by organisational and operational requirements linked to tournament activities and official commitments. The governing body has not indicated any change to those arrangements.

The discussion surrounding Infantino’s travel has therefore centred on the balance between the logistical demands of a multi-country tournament and concerns raised by environmental groups regarding the use of private aviation. The criticism emerged as the FIFA president continued attending matches and official events across several host cities during the competition.