FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing renewed scrutiny after US tax filings reportedly showed that he received an additional £1.3 million in 2024 from the company established to organise the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The disclosure has raised questions about financial transparency at the world football governing body, which has published details of Infantino’s salary, bonuses and allowances in its annual reports since 2016.
According to a report by The Times, Infantino declared a salary of £3.88 million, equivalent to $5.1 million, for 2024. However, US tax filings reportedly showed that he also received £1.3 million, or $1.76 million, from FWC2026, the company set up to organise and run the tournament.
The additional payment was not publicly disclosed in FIFA’s annual report for the year, according to the report.
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.”
The reported payment has prompted questions about whether FIFA’s disclosure practices fully comply with its own rules on publishing the compensation of senior officials.
However, FIFA has denied that Infantino received a second salary from the organisation, insisting that its compensation arrangements comply with applicable reporting 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.”
The spokesperson added that the organisation remained focused on the FIFA Council meeting scheduled for Thursday and discussions with its members about the continued development of football.
The report also indicated that FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom did not receive an additional payment from FWC2026.
The disclosure has renewed scrutiny of FIFA’s financial transparency, particularly regarding the reporting of compensation and other contractual benefits received by its senior officials.
