FIFA president Gianni Infantino has almost traveled the equivalent of the world’s circumference during the first 12 days of the World Cup, according to astonishing data published online.
Infantino has been given free use of a private jet by tournament sponsor Qatar Airways, and he is aiming to attend at least two games a day despite the huge distances between host venues in the US, Canada and Mexico.
As the second round of group stage matches nears its conclusion, X account ‘SickosCommittee’ has put together a graphic of the distances traveled by the FIFA president so far – and the results are remarkable.
It has been reported that, by Monday afternoon, Infantino had already taken 18 flights and flown 23,289 miles – just shy of the entire circumference of the earth (24,901 miles).
He has attended games in Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Los Angeles, San Jose, Vancouver, Seattle, Kansas City, Houston, Atlanta, Miami, Philadelphia, Boston and New York, as well as attending a separate FIFA conference in South Florida.
On Monday, he was in Philadelphia for the storm-battered France-Iraq game at 4pm, and just a few hours later was in New York watching Norway alongside Erling Haaland’s dad Alfie.
Gianni Infantino has reportedly flown over 23,000 miles watching the World Cup so far
A ‘jet tracker’ published on social media shows the journeys that the FIFA president has made
On social media, fans took aim at the FIFA president, with one claiming that he will have consumed ’20 to 22,000 gallons of fuel’, totaling ‘$140k’.
Another added: ‘And we are told to recycle water bottles to take care of the planet?’
A third, meanwhile, wrote: ‘Elite climate hypocrisy at its finest during #WorldCup2026.’
Others, though, backed Infantino’s decision to attend as many games as possible, with one claiming: ‘It’s his job!’
The Guardian reported last week that Infantino’s ability to travel so frequently between games is thanks to a jet lent to him by Qatar Airways, one of the premium sponsors of the World Cup.
Infantino shakes hands with fans during the Uruguay-Cape Verde game in Miami on Sunday
Last week, he traveled north of the border to watch Canada alongside Mark Carney (right)
It was reported that Infantino will travel the furthest of anyone involved in the tournament, which the New Weather Institute describes as the ‘most polluting event ever’.
On Tuesday, the FIFA president will likely attend another two games, with four big fixtures to choose from on the schedule.
The day’s action begins in Houston with Portugal vs Uzbekistan, before England take on Ghana in Boston.
Three hours later, attention turns to Toronto for Panama-Croatia, and the final game of the day is south of the border in Guadalajara when Colombia face DR Congo.
