TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Over the course of 39 days, FIFA President Gianni Infantino crisscrossed North America to catch matches, meetings, and other appearances for the 2026 World Cup. This makes for staggering mileage: he traveled about 60,000 miles to watch over 40 games across three countries, 16 cities, and four time zones.
What did Infantino use to travel during the 2026 World Cup?
This year's tournament is the most far-flung yet, meaning Infantino had to travel back and forth between Canada, Mexico, and the United States for the games.
By the final, which was held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in the US, Infantino had reportedly amassed approximately 115 flight hours during the World Cup. This figure, however, excludes his brief travel to Doha to attend Qatar's former emir's funeral—which took about 29 hours of travel.
Meaning, by the time this year's World Cup concluded, Infantino would have flown far enough to circle the planet nearly 2 1/2 times.
To keep up with his activities, multiple media reports cited that Infantino utilized a Gulfstream G650 jet provided by Qatar Airways, the official sponsor for the World Cup.
Business Insider tracked Infantino's whereabouts using photographs, TV broadcasts, and Instagram posts, and the data matched up with the movements of a Gulfstream G650ER operated by Qatar Executive, the private jet division of Qatar Airways.
Mapping Gianni Infantino's flights during the 2026 World Cup
According to the data released by flight-tracking site FlightAware, as quoted from The Independent, Infantino's private jet averaged more than one flight a day and, on multiple days, made more than three, ever since a June 9 flight from Los Angeles to Mexico City ahead of the World Cup opening match.
Besides attending the games, Gianni Infantino's commitments include a New York stop for an interview with Fox & Friends and a FIFA summit in Miami.
Here's a look at Gianni Infantino's travel record during the 2026 World Cup:
Before Sunday's final, Infantino had attended 43 World Cup matches across all 16 stadiums hosting the games. He attended multiple games at these venues, with Miami's Hard Rock Stadium his most visited with five World Cup matches.
According to the Associated Press analysis, Infantino used 21 airports during his World Cup voyage. His private jet mostly used host cities' main international airports, but sometimes, it relied on smaller ones, including Atlanta's Fulton County Executive Airport and Miami's Opa Locka Executive Airport.
Noting that, the jet made 23 crossings of international borders across North America through the semifinals.
The longest flight Infantino took during the World Cup was 5 hours and 44 minutes for the Belgium-Egypt match on June 15. In contrast, he flew a 28-minute hop from Seattle to Vancouver on July 6, making it his shortest trip yet. The venues in both cities are about a three-hour drive apart.
On that day, the FIFA president attended a US-Belgium match in Seattle before watching a face-off between Switzerland and Colombia in Vancouver the following day.
Infantino's highest-traveled day was June 26, where his jet covered 5,500 miles, starting with a flight in the morning from Miami to Dallas. After, G650ER flew to Seattle for an Egypt-Iran match. Finally, the jet red-eyed back to Miami for a Colombia-Portugal match the following day.
Concerns about the environmental cost of the World Cup
Such extensive travel brings forth concerns of environmental impacts and pollution. Previously, FIFA had pledged to cut down carbon emissions from the World Cup and its related activities by half by 2030. It has also committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2040, citing its readiness to address climate change.
But this is contrasted by the expanded format of the World Cup, which has traditionally been hosted in a single country. Climate researchers and environmental groups have argued that this year's tournament likely produces the most greenhouse gases and the most carbon pollution.
Not only due to the extensive air travel required for teams, fans, and officials alike, but also due to the extensive carbon footprint produced by the top officials' heavy reliance on private aviation.
Read: 72 European Lawmakers Push FIFA Review of Gianni Infantino
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