FIFA President Gianni Infantino received an additional $1.72 million payment in 2024 from the organisation established to manage the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to documents obtained by ESPN from FIFA and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The payment, made by FWC2026, was separate from Infantino’s regular salary and benefits from FIFA and was not included in FIFA’s 2024 annual financial report, according to the documents reviewed by ESPN. The revelation has raised questions about whether FIFA complied with its own rules requiring the compensation of senior officials to be made public.
$1.72m Payment Came From World Cup Organiser
FWC2026 is a U.S.-based nonprofit organisation established by FIFA to manage and operate the 2026 World Cup, which was hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
An IRS Form 990 for FWC2026's 2024 tax year lists $1.72 million in compensation for Infantino. The filing is the latest publicly available FWC2026 tax document covering the payment.
The payment was in addition to the compensation Infantino received directly from FIFA.
According to FIFA's financial records, Infantino received 4.274 million Swiss francs, equivalent to roughly $4.86 million, in salary and benefits from FIFA in 2024.
That means the newly reported payment represented a substantial additional amount on top of his normal FIFA compensation for the year.
Why the Payment Has Raised Questions
The central issue is not whether Infantino can legally receive compensation from a FIFA-related organisation, but whether that compensation was required to be publicly disclosed under FIFA's statutes.
Article 43, paragraph 13 of FIFA's statutes states that the organisation's Compensation Sub-Committee determines the compensation of the FIFA president, members of the FIFA Council and the secretary general. It also says their individual compensation must be made public.
The $1.72 million payment from FWC2026 was not listed in FIFA's 2024 annual report, according to ESPN's review of the documents.
That omission has prompted questions about the scope of FIFA's disclosure obligations, particularly because FWC2026 was created by FIFA to handle the organisation and operation of the 2026 tournament.
Miguel Maduro, a former chairman of FIFA's governance committee, told The Times that failing to disclose additional compensation from FIFA-related entities could contravene FIFA's transparency requirements.
FIFA Rejects Any Suggestion of a Rules Violation
FIFA has rejected the suggestion that Infantino received an undisclosed second salary or that the organisation breached its statutes.
A FIFA spokesperson told ESPN that FIFA “fully complies with all reporting requirements” and strongly rejected any suggestion that its statutes had been violated.
The organisation also said Infantino's annual compensation and other contractual benefits are determined by its independent Compensation Sub-Committee.
FIFA further stated that its accounts are independently audited and that its declarations comply with applicable tax regulations in Switzerland, the United States and elsewhere.
The dispute therefore centres on whether the payment from FWC2026 should have appeared in FIFA's public compensation disclosures, rather than on whether the payment itself was recorded in U.S. tax filings.
Payment Came Before the 2026 World Cup
The reported $1.72 million payment was made in 2024, two years before the 2026 World Cup was held across North America.
The tournament was organised through a complex structure involving FIFA and FWC2026, the U.S.-based entity responsible for managing and operating the competition.
The fact that the payment was made before the tournament does not by itself establish that it was connected to a specific tournament-related performance or activity. The available reporting identifies FWC2026 as the source of the compensation but does not establish the precise purpose of the payment.
Infantino Faces Wider Scrutiny
The disclosure comes at a time when Infantino is already facing increased scrutiny over FIFA's governance and commercial decisions.
Earlier in 2026, the FIFA president faced opposition over a proposal known as FIFA Forward Enterprise, which involved plans to bring private investment into a FIFA commercial structure connected to World Cup rights.
The proposal was eventually abandoned following opposition from several football officials and confederations. Reuters reported that Infantino is now facing criticism from leaders of UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, while continuing to receive support from other regions.
Infantino has also confirmed his intention to seek another term as FIFA president in 2027.
The latest compensation disclosure is therefore likely to add another governance and transparency issue to the discussions surrounding his leadership.
What the Documents Show — and What They Do Not
The documents reviewed by ESPN establish that FWC2026 reported a $1.72 million payment to Infantino for 2024.
They also show that the amount was not included in FIFA's 2024 annual report, according to ESPN's analysis.
However, the available information does not by itself establish that Infantino personally violated FIFA rules or that the payment was improper. FIFA has explicitly rejected that interpretation and maintains that its compensation and reporting practices comply with its requirements.
The controversy is therefore focused on transparency and the interpretation of FIFA's disclosure rules.
The revelation could nevertheless increase scrutiny of FIFA's financial governance as the organisation moves beyond the 2026 World Cup and prepares for its next presidential election.
