FIFA President's World Cup Travel Produced Nearly 700 Tons of CO₂ Emissions

FIFA President Gianni Infantino generated an estimated 700 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) during his travel throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to reports by the Associated Press (AP) and Italian news agency ANSA.

The 2026 tournament, hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, was the largest FIFA World Cup in history. During the 39-day competition, Infantino traveled approximately 93,000 kilometers - or about 95,400 kilometers according to AP's North America-only estimate - roughly equivalent to circling the Earth twice.

Infantino spent about 115 hours in the air, used 21 airports, attended matches at all 16 World Cup venues, and watched 44 matches in total. On 13 days, he attended two matches on the same day.

According to the reports, Infantino traveled aboard a Qatar Airways-operated Gulfstream G650 private jet from the Qatari government fleet, with the travel costs covered by FIFA.

Fuel expenses for the flights were estimated at approximately $350,000, while the total carbon emissions reached nearly 700 metric tons of CO₂ - roughly equivalent to the average annual carbon footprint of about 40 U.S. residents.

His busiest travel day came on June 26, when he flew approximately 9,285 kilometers (5,772 miles). The reports noted that an additional trip to Doha to attend the funeral of Qatar's former emir - requiring roughly 29 hours of travel - was not included in the emissions calculation.

The extensive use of private air travel has renewed scrutiny of FIFA's environmental commitments. The governing body has pledged to cut its operational carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, prompting questions about whether the travel practices of senior officials align with those goals.

According to the Associated Press, FIFA did not respond to requests for comment regarding the findings.