FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been criticized for flying 31,000 miles in a private jet during the first two weeks of the World Cup, despite his earlier commitment to reduce carbon emissions. The BBC tracked a Gulfstream G650ER linked to FIFA and Infantino, finding it made 27 flights between cities across the US, Mexico, and Canada to watch 24 matches. The climate impact of these flights in a fortnight was equivalent to that of 78 people over a year.
Infantino's Travel Pattern
Infantino attended two matches a day several times during the group stage, often in cities hundreds of miles apart. On some days, he took three separate flights. His longest flight was 2,800 miles from Vancouver to Miami on June 13 after watching Australia play Turkey. On June 22, he flew just 92 miles from Philadelphia to Teterboro Airport in New Jersey for a TV interview, then continued to Boston and Toronto for matches. His furthest single day of travel was June 15, when he flew over 2,700 miles from Miami to Seattle to watch Belgium vs. Egypt, then 960 miles south to Los Angeles for Iran vs. New Zealand. By June 27, the aircraft had traveled at least 31,144 miles and spent over 66 hours in the air.
Climate Pledge Contradiction
In FIFA's sustainability and human rights strategy for the World Cup, Infantino said: "Whether we speak about climate, human rights, diseases or disabilities, we are committed to play our part." However, flying by private jet is the most carbon-intensive way to travel, producing greenhouse gases that drive global warming. A FIFA spokesman defended the president, stating he "routinely travels together with relevant officials on business and tournament-related matters" and strives to visit member associations "whenever he can." The spokesman added that travel is organized on commercial airlines or private charter depending on efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Expert Criticism
Freddie Daley, a researcher at Sussex University and member of the sport climate action network Cool Down, called Infantino's travel "symptomatic of FIFA’s failings on the environment and sustainability." He said: "The fact that Infantino's choosing to use a private jet is just completely at odds with the level of leadership that we need to see at the top of FIFA on environmental issues." Denise Auclair, a sustainable travel expert at the European Federation for Transport and Environment, noted that private jets are "five to 14 times more polluting than commercial planes and 50 times more than trains."
FIFA's Environmental Commitments
FIFA has committed to reducing emissions by 50% by 2030 and reaching net-zero by 2040. For this year's tournament, the governing body said it was hosting teams regionally to cut reliance on long-haul travel, encouraging electric cars, public transport, and water conservation, and using existing stadiums. Despite these measures, a report from Scientists for Global Responsibility predicted the overall carbon footprint of this World Cup could reach nine million tonnes of CO2e, nearly double the average for the past four World Cups, making it the most polluting ever.
