FIFA paid roughly €4 million in income taxes on behalf of its president, Gianni Infantino, for the period he lived in the United States, Voetbalkrant.com reported, citing a report by The New York Times. The Dutch outlet described the payments as the latest in a series of controversies involving the FIFA president and money.
The payments relate to Infantino’s relocation from Switzerland to the United States during last summer’s World Cup. Because U.S. tax rates are significantly higher than Swiss rates, Infantino would have owed substantially more in taxes across the Atlantic, according to the report. FIFA instead covered the bill.
A Decision Made by Three People
Voetbalkrant.com reported that the decision to have the world soccer body pay Infantino’s U.S. income taxes was taken during a meeting attended by only three people — all described as confidants of the FIFA president. The outlet characterized the small, closed nature of the meeting as making the decision all the more remarkable.
The €4 million tax figure, according to the report, also says a great deal about Infantino’s actual income as FIFA president, since the taxes FIFA paid would have been calculated on his earnings during his U.S. stay.
The Earlier €1.5 Million Bonus
The tax payments come on top of an earlier disclosure, also cited by Voetbalkrant.com, that Infantino had received an undisclosed bonus of €1.5 million, which the outlet described as unlawful. According to the report, Infantino used that money to rent a villa in Miami and to live lavishly in the United States.
Context: Infantino’s Move to the U.S.
Infantino moved from Switzerland to the United States in connection with the World Cup held last summer in North America. The relocation is what triggered the higher U.S. tax liability that FIFA then paid on his behalf, the report said. Voetbalkrant.com framed the episode as another scandal in which Infantino plays the leading role — and in which money is again the central issue.
What Is Confirmed and What Is Reported
The claims about the tax payments, the three-person meeting, and the €1.5 million bonus come from Voetbalkrant.com’s reporting, which itself cites The New York Times.
Questions about his compensation and expenses have surfaced periodically during his tenure, though this specific episode — the organization paying millions in personal income tax for its president — is reported here as a new development.
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