Infantino received $1.76M outside FIFA annual report

The British newspaper The Times has examined the financial compensation of Gianni Infantino, president of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). The investigation revealed that Infantino received an additional $1.76 million from the company organizing the 2026 World Cup in the United States during 2024. These payments did not appear in the salary disclosed within the federation’s annual report.

Undisclosed payments to FIFA president

According to The Times’ findings, Infantino earned 4.274 million Swiss francs in 2024, as stated in FIFA’s annual report. This amount equates to approximately £3.88 million. Separately, he received $1.76 million from FWC2026 US Inc., the entity responsible for staging the tournament in the United States.

The publication noted that this extra sum appeared in the financial declaration submitted to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. However, it was omitted from the compensation figures announced for Infantino in the international body’s annual report. This discrepancy raised questions regarding adherence to financial disclosure regulations.

Citing its sources, The Times added that these supplementary payments may have continued through 2025 and 2026. The amounts involved could be similar or larger, though no final total for these entitlements has been revealed.

Call for independent inquiry

Miguel Maduro, former head of FIFA’s Governance Committee, criticized the failure to disclose the additional payments. He demanded the launch of an independent investigation to determine if the transactions complied with regulations governing the federation’s operations.

Maduro referenced Article 43, Paragraph 13, of FIFA’s statutes. This provision mandates the announcement of individual compensation for the union’s president, board members, and secretary general. He argued that transparency requires the revelation of all forms of bonuses and payments linked to their positions.

The former official emphasized that a high salary for the FIFA president is not inherently objectionable. The core issue lies in the necessity to clearly declare all financial entitlements.

Lifestyle and official response

The Times’ investigation also touched on Infantino’s lifestyle in Miami, United States. It indicated that he rented a luxury waterfront mansion for tens of thousands of dollars per month in the period preceding the World Cup.

However, the report did not provide evidence proving that the additional payments received by Infantino were directly used to fund this residence.

The newspaper sought clarification from FIFA regarding the nature of the extra payments and the reasons for their exclusion from the annual report. The federation’s response did not explain why these sums were missing from published financial disclosures.

These developments place Infantino’s administration under new scrutiny concerning the transparency of executive compensation. This occurs alongside controversy over investment plans related to the 2026 World Cup, which have sparked debate about the management of the tournament’s commercial rights.