Overview
- Multiple outlets reported on Wednesday that FIFA president Gianni Infantino is attempting to attend up to two 2026 World Cup matches per day by travelling between host cities on a private jet provided by sponsor Qatar Airways.
- FIFA has confirmed he will maintain the high-frequency travel schedule for much of the tournament, which so far has taken him from Mexico City to Guadalajara, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver and Miami.
- The tournament’s three-country, four-time-zone format and 16 venues create big travel demands with some venue-to-venue distances exceeding 4,500 kilometres, making frequent in-person attendance logistically intensive.
- Independent analysts highlighted the climate impact: the New Weather Institute estimates about 9 million tonnes of CO₂ for the tournament with roughly 7.7 million tonnes from air travel, while Greenly calculates flights account for about 87% of emissions.
- Reports also note practical and reputational costs, including large security and transport arrangements and near‑million‑dollar travel bills, and say this pattern contrasts with Qatar 2022 when centralized venues let Infantino attend almost every game in one country.