Embattled FIFA president Gianni Infantino received a previously undisclosed US$1.72 million World Cup payment, according to FIFA and IRS documents obtained by ESPN. According to the report published on Tuesday, the lack of transparency surrounding the compensation is a potential violation of FIFA statutes. Infantino received the compensation in 2024 from FWC2026, the official U.S.-based organization set up by FIFA to manage and operate the 2026 World Cup held this summer in North America, according to IRS records. The $1.72 million was in addition to Infantino’s salary and benefits from FIFA for 2024, which amounted to about $4.9 million. The additional compensation was not disclosed in FIFA’s annual report in 2024, per the report. According to FIFA’s own statutes, “The individual compensation of the FIFA President, the members of the Council and the FIFA Secretary General shall be made public.” A FIFA spokesperson told ESPN that the organization “strongly rejects any suggestion there has been a violation” of the statutes. “FIFA does not pay a second salary to the FIFA President and complies with all reporting requirements in relation to compensation,” read a FIFA statement. “The FIFA President’s annual compensation, as well as other contractual benefits, are decided by the independent Compensation Sub-Committee. “FIFA strongly rejects any claims that it has failed to disclose any financial information and has violated FIFA’s Statutes. FIFA accounts are independently audited, and all declarations are in line with tax regulations in Switzerland, the United States and elsewhere. “FIFA is fully focused on the FIFA Council meeting on Thursday and looks forward to discussions with its members to further grow the game following the most successful FIFA World Cup in history.” It is the latest controversy surrounding Infantino, 56, who has been in office since 2016. Earlier this year, he came under fire for a since-aborted plan to sell a 20 per cent stake in the World Cup to private investors.
