World Cup's Carbon Footprint Increases as FIFA President Gianni Infantino Uses Private Jet to Travel for Games

The 2026 World Cup’s carbon footprint is drawing fresh scrutiny after FIFA president Gianni Infantino repeatedly used a private jet to attend matches across multiple countries. Infantino has been traveling fast enough to attend two matches a day when possible, after the tournament began, and he has drawn criticism from environmental campaigners citing the overall impact of the event. The jet was not arranged independently; it was provided by Qatar Airways as part of a sponsorship arrangement with FIFA. His itinerary included attending the opening match in Mexico City, then flying to Guadalajara to watch South Korea play Czechia, and later traveling to Los Angeles for the United States vs. Paraguay match. Additional stops included San Francisco and Vancouver, followed by a brief break while he hosted a FIFA summit in Miami. FIFA sources say he intends to keep attending two games a day for as long as possible. Research cited in the report estimates nine million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent from the tournament, compared with 5.25 million in Qatar 2022.