By Adegboyega Adeleye
Embattled FIFA president Gianni Infantino received a previously undisclosed $1.72 million payment from the organisation responsible for managing the 2026 World Cup, according to FIFA and US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) documents obtained by ESPN.
According to the report published on Tuesday, the lack of transparency surrounding the compensation raises questions over compliance with FIFA statutes, which require the individual compensation of the organisation’s president to be made public.
The payment was made in 2024 by FWC2026, the US-based entity established by FIFA to manage and operate the 2026 World Cup, according to IRS records.
The $1.72 million compensation was in addition to Infantino’s regular salary and benefits from FIFA, which amounted to 4.274 million Swiss francs, or approximately $4.86 million, in 2024, according to the organisation’s financial report.
The additional payment was not disclosed in FIFA’s 2024 annual report, the latest year for which FWC2026’s IRS Form 990 is publicly available, ESPN reported.
Article 43, paragraph 13 of FIFA’s statutes states that the organisation’s Compensation Sub-Committee determines the compensation of the FIFA president, council members and secretary general, adding that their individual compensation “shall be made public”.
However, FIFA has denied violating its disclosure obligations, insisting that its financial reporting complies with applicable requirements.
A FIFA spokesperson told ESPN that the organisation “fully complies with all reporting requirements and strongly rejects any suggestion there has been a violation of FIFA’s Statutes”.
In a separate statement, the spokesperson said FIFA did not pay Infantino a second salary and that his annual compensation and other contractual benefits were determined 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,” the spokesperson said, adding that FIFA’s accounts were independently audited and its declarations complied with tax regulations in Switzerland, the United States and elsewhere.
The Times first reported Infantino’s additional compensation from FWC2026 and the questions surrounding its disclosure.
Miguel Maduro, former chairman of FIFA’s governance committee, told the newspaper that failing to make additional payments from FIFA-related entities public would contravene the organisation’s transparency rules.
Maduro argued that FIFA’s statutes imposed an obligation of full transparency, adding that the compensation committee should not authorise alternative forms of remuneration that were not publicly disclosed.
The latest revelation adds to the scrutiny surrounding Infantino, who has faced criticism over his leadership and a proposal earlier this year to sell a 20 per cent stake in the World Cup to private investors.
The proposed investment plan, which Infantino reportedly called FIFA Forward Enterprise, drew opposition from football officials concerned about transparency and the management of the sport’s commercial interests.
Infantino has also faced pressure following his close relationship with US President Donald Trump ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which was hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The FIFA president is expected to meet members of the FIFA Council in Zurich on Thursday, amid continuing discussions about the organisation’s governance and financial arrangements.
Infantino has confirmed plans to seek re-election in March 2027, despite criticism from some football officials over his leadership.
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