FIFA President's 27-Flight World Cup Tour Emits 516 Tonnes of CO2

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has attended 24 matches in just over two weeks across North America during this summer's World Cup, accumulating thousands of air miles via private jet. The tournament, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico across 16 cities, features an expanded group stage with more matches than ever before.

In FIFA's 2026 World Cup sustainability and human rights strategy, Infantino stated: "Whether we speak about climate, human rights, diseases or disabilities, we are committed to play our part." However, BBC Verify and BBC Sport have tracked a private jet linked to FIFA and Infantino that has taken 27 flights during the tournament to cities where the FIFA president has been photographed attending matches.

Travel Patterns and Distances

Infantino has attended two games per day on several occasions during the group stage, often in cities hundreds of miles apart. On some days, he took three separate flights. The longest flight in the first two weeks was 2,800 miles (4,507 km) from Vancouver to Miami on June 13, after watching Australia play Turkey. A shorter journey on June 22 covered just 92 miles (148 km) from Philadelphia to Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, where Infantino did not attend a match but was interviewed the following morning at Fox News studio in New York before flying to Boston and Toronto later that day.

His furthest single day of travel (excluding overnight flights) was June 15, when he flew over 2,700 miles (4,000 km) from Miami to Seattle to watch Belgium play Egypt, then traveled about 960 miles (1,545 km) south to Los Angeles to attend Iran vs. New Zealand in the evening. Another significant travel day was June 26, when the jet departed Miami, made a brief stop in Dallas, continued to Seattle (where Infantino was photographed at Egypt vs. Iran), and then flew 2,700 miles (4,345 km) back to Miami, arriving the following morning. Infantino watched his 24th and final group stage match in Miami the next day, where Portugal played Colombia.

Carbon Emissions and Climate Impact

Flying by private jet is typically the most carbon-intensive mode of travel, producing greenhouse gases that drive global warming. The Gulfstream G650ER, the aircraft Infantino is believed to be using, has an average fuel burn rate of approximately 1,817 liters per hour. Based on UK government greenhouse gas conversion factors, the jet's travel during the group stage produced an estimated 516 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). This figure includes estimates for CO2 and other gases directly released, adjusted for indirect climate effects of aviation. The estimated climate impact over a fortnight is roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of 78 average individuals.

BBC Verify mapped the aircraft's flights using plane-tracking data, and the destination of each journey matches published photographs of Infantino at stadiums in the same cities on the same dates. The BBC asked FIFA to confirm the aircraft used, but the organization did not respond. Overall, the private jet traveled at least 31,144 miles (50,122 km) and spent more than 66 hours in the air between the tournament's start and June 27.