FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing renewed scrutiny after United States tax filings reportedly showed he received an additional £1.3 million in 2024 from the company established to organise this year’s World Cup, beyond his publicly reported salary.
According to a report by The Times, the payment from FWC2026 was not disclosed in FIFA’s annual report, despite the organisation’s commitment to publishing the president’s salary, bonuses and allowances annually since 2016.
FIFA’s 2024 annual report listed Infantino’s salary at £3.88 million, equivalent to $5.1 million. However, the US tax filing reportedly showed an additional payment of £1.3 million, or $1.76 million, from FWC2026.
The disclosure has raised questions about FIFA’s financial transparency and compliance with its own statutes, which require the publication of the president’s compensation.
Article 43, paragraph 13 of FIFA’s statutes states: “The individual compensation of the FIFA president, the members of the council and the FIFA secretary general shall be made public.”
Responding to the report, a FIFA spokesperson denied that Infantino received a second salary from the organisation and insisted that its compensation arrangements complied with disclosure requirements.
“FIFA does not pay a second salary to the FIFA president and complies with all reporting requirements in relation to compensation. The FIFA president’s annual compensation, as well as other contractual benefits, are decided by the independent compensation sub-committee,” the spokesperson said.
According to Sky Sports, the organisation also rejected allegations that it had breached its financial disclosure obligations.
“FIFA strongly rejects any claims that it has failed to disclose any financial information and has violated FIFA’s statutes. FIFA accounts are independently audited, and all declarations are in line with tax regulations in Switzerland, the United States and elsewhere,” the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson said FIFA was focused on its upcoming council meeting and the development of the game.
“FIFA is fully focused on the FIFA Council meeting on Thursday and looks forward to discussions with its members to further grow the game following the most successful FIFA World Cup in history.”
The report also indicated that FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom did not receive an additional payment from FWC2026. Neither did CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani, who chaired the company’s board.
The latest disclosure comes ahead of Thursday’s meeting of FIFA’s 37-member Council in Zurich, where Infantino is expected to face renewed questions over his leadership.
