president received a previously undisclosed payment of $1.72 million in 2024 from the organisation running the 2026 World Cup, according to documents reviewed by ESPN and reported on Tuesday. The money came from FWC2026, the U.S.-based entity FIFA established to manage the tournament held this summer across North America. It sat on top of his regular FIFA compensation of roughly $4.9 million for the same year and was not listed in FIFA’s annual report.
IRS filings show the $1.72 million arrived in 2024 as separate compensation from FWC2026. ’s own 2024 annual report disclosed Infantino’s salary, bonus and allowances at approximately $5.1 million (£3.88 million) but made no mention of the FWC2026 payment. Secretary general Mattias Grafstrom received nothing extra from the World Cup company, nor did CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani, even though Montagliani chaired the FWC2026 board.
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.” FIFA has published Infantino’s salary package every year since he took office in 2016. The absence of the FWC2026 sum from the 2024 report therefore raises questions about whether the organisation met its own transparency rule. The payment was separate from any salary or benefits FIFA itself provided.
A FIFA spokesperson rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing. “FIFA does not pay a second salary to the President and complies with all reporting requirements in relation to compensation,” the organisation said.
“The FIFA President’s annual compensation, as well as other contractual benefits, are decided by the independent Compensation Sub-Committee. 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. 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 in history.”
The 56-year-old Swiss-Italian has faced repeated criticism this year. Earlier, he proposed selling a 20 percent stake in the World Cup to private investors, a plan he later abandoned after strong opposition. and several federations in North America and Asia have withdrawn support. Infantino has confirmed he will stand for re-election in March 2027. FIFA has argued that his initial three-year term from 2016 to 2019 does not count toward the usual three-term limit, allowing him to run again.
No serious challenger has yet emerged; former Switzerland defender Ramon Vega has expressed interest but is unlikely to secure the five federation nominations needed by the November 18 deadline. Infantino is expected to meet the FIFA Council in Zurich on Thursday for the first time since the privatisation episode.
