Infantino payment raises FIFA compensation transparency questions

FIFA president Gianni Infantino faces renewed scrutiny over remuneration after reports identified a payment of approximately £1.3m from FWC2026, the US-based company established to organise the 2026 World Cup.The payment was recorded in US tax filings for 2024 but reportedly did not appear in FIFA’s annual disclosure of Infantino’s compensation, prompting questions about compliance with the governing body’s transparency requirements.A FIFA spokesperson said: “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.“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 FIFA World Cup in history.”Reports put the additional payment at approximately US$1.7m, although the precise dollar amount and the conversion of Infantino’s published remuneration differ between accounts.The central issue is whether the payment was adequately included in FIFA’s public compensation reporting, rather than whether it appeared in a tax declaration.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 presidential salary, bonus and allowance information annually since 2016, with the newly reported payment raising questions about how compensation from a separate tournament operating entity is reflected in those disclosures.No finding that FIFA or Infantino breached the statutes has been established, and the governing body maintains that its reporting and tax obligations have been met.The issue emerges ahead of the FIFA Council’s meeting in Zurich on October 15, where members are also expected to seek answers about Infantino’s abandoned proposal to bring private investors into a commercial vehicle managing FIFA tournaments.That proposal involved selling a 20 per cent stake in FIFA Forward Enterprise, with the World Cup among the competitions concerned, before opposition prompted its withdrawal.UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and Concacaf president Victor Montagliani have subsequently proposed additional distributions to member associations from FIFA’s existing resources, challenging the argument that outside investment was necessary to increase funding.The remuneration questions add another governance issue to that debate, bringing attention to the relationship between FIFA’s central accounts, tournament companies and the information available to its members.Infantino has confirmed his intention to seek re-election in March 2027 despite calls for new leadership from UEFA and other parts of international football.CAF president Patrice Motsepe has announced the unconditional backing of Africa’s 54 member associations, while former Switzerland international Ramon Vega has declared his intention to challenge Infantino.Vega’s inclusion on the ballot remains dependent on securing the required federation support, with November 18 the stated deadline for prospective candidates to declare their intention to stand.Infantino was elected in 2016 and returned unopposed in 2019 and 2023, with FIFA treating his initial three-year period as outside the three-term limit for presidential service.