The controversies are piling up. With dozens of countries competing across 16 cities in three nations, there was always going to be drama both on and off the pitch.
From a Somali referee being denied entry into the United States to the opening match seeing the most red cards in two decades, there have already been plenty of headlines. Now, FIFA President Gianni Infantino is taking his place in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
FIFA Chief Gianni Infantino’s Itinerary Draws Criticism on Social Media
FIFA has been quite outspoken about climate change in recent years. The organisation aims to make football climate-resilient and achieve net-zero emissions by 2040. However, it has also faced scrutiny, particularly regarding the massive carbon footprint of the ongoing 2026 World Cup.
At the centre of the storm is Infantino, who has reportedly been using a private jet provided by Qatar Airways to travel long distances between matches.
Infantino attended the opening match of the tournament in Mexico City before flying to Guadalajara to watch South Korea’s victory over Czechia. The following day, he was seen in Los Angeles for the USA’s 4–1 win over Paraguay before attending games in San Francisco and Vancouver.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino is logging some serious air miles this World Cup:
June 11: Mexico City, Guadalajara
June 12: Los Angeles
June 13: San Francisco, Vancouver
June 14: Miami
June 15: Seattle, Los AngelesInfantino has a private jet from Qatar Airways on standby and… pic.twitter.com/asWElghtAr
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) June 16, 2026
His decision to attend multiple matches in a single day has not gone unnoticed on social media. Davis Matthews wrote on X, “Infantino is apparently taking in two WC games a day and using a private jet given to him by Qatar Airways as a value-in-kind element of its sponsorship deal with FIFA, with travel costs fully covered by the host committee. He’s taking everyone for a ride.”
He wasn’t the only one. Football finance expert Kieran Maguire sarcastically added the hashtag “#ManOfThePeople,” while Florian Ederer wrote, “For people asking why FIFA, nominally a non-profit, is trying to maximise profits: This is what your ticket prices are paying for. A completely gratuitous waste of resources, further enabled by the Qatari regime.”
Meanwhile, another X user, Mohamed Jinah Ali, commented, “Finally this made news. 😂”
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Infantino attended almost all 64 matches during the 2022 World Cup, a feat that was relatively achievable given Qatar’s size, where the longest distance between stadiums was just 46 miles. This time, however, the tournament spans four time zones, with stadiums located up to 2,800 miles apart.
As a result, the New Weather Institute has described the 2026 World Cup as the “most polluting event ever,” estimating it will generate around 9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. Of this, air travel alone is expected to account for 7.7 million tonnes, more than four times the average emissions of World Cups held between 2010 and 2022.
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