Infantino Attends Croatia vs. Panama in Toronto
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was in attendance at Toronto Stadium on Tuesday night for the World Cup Group L match between Croatia and Panama, sharing a luxury box with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. Infantino posted on social media honouring Luka Modric, who made his 200th appearance for Croatia. This marked Infantino's first visit to Toronto during the tournament.
Nearly 40,000 km in 18 Flights
According to the sports fan account Sickos Committee on X, Infantino has flown 18 times on his private jet since the World Cup began on June 11 in Mexico City, totaling 23,289 miles (approximately 37,480 km). This is nearly the circumference of the Earth (24,901 miles or 40,075 km). The figure does not include his flight from New York City to Toronto, which adds an estimated 589 km.
Infantino Has Visited 15 of 16 Host Cities
Infantino has attended matches in Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Vancouver, Seattle, Kansas City, Houston, Atlanta, Miami, Philadelphia, Boston, New York-New Jersey, and Toronto. The only host city he has yet to visit is Dallas, which still has six games remaining, including Sweden vs. Japan on Thursday.
Private Jet on Loan from Qatar Airways
According to a report by The Guardian, Infantino has been using a private jet on loan from Qatar Airways, a World Cup sponsor. This has allowed him to attend multiple matches on the same day in different cities. On Monday, he was in Philadelphia for France vs. Iraq (delayed by lightning) and then flew to New York-New Jersey for Norway vs. Senegal. On Friday, he attended Brazil vs. Haiti in Philadelphia and Morocco vs. Scotland in Boston; the flight between the two cities takes 41 minutes, but the gap between the final whistle of the first match and kickoff of the second was only 30 minutes.
Environmental Concerns Raised
Infantino's extensive travel has drawn criticism on social media regarding its environmental impact. One user posted, "Elite climate hypocrisy at its finest during World Cup 2026." Another estimated fuel consumption at 20,000-22,000 gallons, costing roughly $140,000.
