FIFA Gianni Infantino received an additional 1.72 million US dollars in 2024 from the American corporate entity charged with organizing the 2026 World Cup, according to financial disclosures examined by the British newspaper The Times and reported by Deutschlandfunk. The payment, which surfaced in a publicly accessible US tax filing, was omitted from the governing body’s official 2024 annual report despite statutes requiring full disclosure of executive compensation.
Tax Filings Reveal Discrepancy in Executive Pay
The disclosures show that the funds channeled through FWC2026 US Inc. covered various executive perks, including the rental of a luxury waterfront villa in Miami Beach costing tens of thousands of dollars per month, according to T-Online. While The Times figures put the additional American payout at 1.72 million US dollars, German broadcaster Sportschau noted that related US tax documentation lists the supplementary compensation at roughly 1.76 million US dollars.
Under FIFA’s governing statutes established in 2016 when Infantino first took office, the organization is mandated to make public the individual compensation of the president, the general secretary, and members of the FIFA Council. The 2024 annual report listed Infantino’s primary compensation package at more than four million Swiss francs, but made no mention of the American subsidiary transfers.
Governance Experts Demand Independent Probe
Miguel Maduro of the FIFA Governance Committee, called for an immediate independent investigation into the unreported funds. Speaking to The Times and cited by upday News, Maduro characterized the omission as a clear breach of the organization’s regulatory framework. “It is a clear violation of the rules if he receives further amounts from companies connected to FIFA and this is not published,” Maduro said.
FIFA strongly rejected the allegations of regulatory non-compliance. In a statement provided to Sportschau, the world governing body maintained that it pays no second salary to the president and fully satisfies all disclosure obligations. “The FIFA pays the FIFA president no second salary and complies with all disclosure obligations regarding remuneration,” the statement read, adding that an independent compensation subcommittee oversees all financial packages in accordance with Swiss, US, and international tax laws.
Controversial New York Office Lease Draws Scrutiny
Financial scrutiny extended beyond executive compensation to include a corporate lease in Midtown Manhattan. Investigative reporting by Le Monde and The New York Times revealed that FIFA committed to a seven-year lease for office space inside the Trump Tower in New York City, totaling nearly four million US dollars in rental payments directed to an entity connected to the Trump Organization.
Internal dissent accompanied the real estate acquisition, as organization insiders questioned the necessity of the New York branch given that FIFA already maintains operations in Miami. Concerns were also raised regarding the political optics of aligning office infrastructure with US Donald Trump. FIFA defended the arrangement by stating to The New York Times and Le Monde that the rent aligns with prevailing market rates and the contract was executed following standard internal procurement procedures.
European Opposition Converges Ahead of Zürich Meeting
The financial revelations emerged as the 37-member FIFA Council convened at the organization’s headquarters on the Zürichberg for its first formal session since late April, as detailed by the Süddeutsche Zeitung. The gathering marked the first major confrontation between Infantino and an opposition bloc formed by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), alongside confederations from Asia and North and Central America.
European football leaders, coordinated through summits in Berlin led by German Football Association (DFB) Bernd Neuendorf, have intensified their campaign against the incumbent leadership. Following the collapse of the contentious FIFA Forward Enterprise private investment project over the summer, the European coalition pushed for comprehensive structural reforms and confirmed intentions to field a credible challenger against Infantino ahead of the upcoming election cycle.
Infantino intends to stand for re-election to another term as FIFA president during the congress scheduled for March 2027 in Rabat, Morocco. leadership continues its search for a unified opposing candidate, with an organizational deadline set for November to name a challenger.
