FIFA President Gianni Infantino is under fire following reports of a secret $1.72 million payment received from the organization managing the 2026 World Cup. The revelation has prompted Mark Carney to call for the FIFA leader's immediate resignation.
The $1.72 million gap in FIFA's 2024 reporting
According to IRS documents obtained by ESPN, Gianni Infantino received a payment of US$1.72 million in 2024 from FWC2026, the U.S.-based entity tasked with operating the 2026 World Cup in North America. This sum was paid in addition to the approximately $4.9 million in salary and benefits that Gianni Infantino already receives from FIFA for the 2024 period.
The controversy centers on the fact that this additional compensation was omitted from the 2024 annual report issued by FIFA. As ESPN reported, FIFA's own internal statutes explicitly mandate that the individual compensation for the FIFA President, the Secretary General, and members of the Council must be made public. the failure to list the FWC2026 payment suggests a potential breach of these transparency requirements.
FIFA's defense of the Compensation Sub-Committee
In response to the allegations, a FIFA spokesperson told ESPN that the organization strongly rejects any claims that it violated its own statutes. FIFA maintains that it does not pay a "second salary" to Gianni Infantino and asserts that all compensation reporting requirements have been met. The organization clarified that the FIFA President's annual pay and contractual benefits are determined by an independent Compensation Sub-Committee.
FIFA further argued that its financial accounts undergo independent audits and that all declarations remain in full compliance with tax regulations in both the United States and Switzerland.. The governing body indicated that its primary focus remains on the upcoming FIFA Council meeting this Thursday,where members will discuss the growth of the sport following the most recent World Cup.
From private equity bids to undisclosed payments
This latest financial dispute is not an isolated incident for Gianni Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016. Earlier this year, the FIFA President faced significant backlash over a proposal to sell a 20 per cent stake in the World Cup to private investors. While that plan was eventually aborted, it established a pattern of attempting to introduce aggressive , non-traditional commercial structures into the sport's governance.
The recurring theme of these controversies is a tension between Gianni Infantino's desire for rapid commercial expansion and the transparency standards expected of a global non-profit governing body. For many observers, the move from pursuing private equity to accepting undisclosed payments from a regional organizing committee reflects a persistent disregard for the spirit of FIFA's disclosure rules.
Why Mark Carney is demanding a resignation
The call for Gianni Infantino's removal comes from Mark Carney, who has pointed to the lack of transparency surrounding the FWC2026 payment as a critical failure of leadership. The demand for resignation highlights a growing impatience with the governance style of the current FIFA administration, particularly as the 2026 tournament approaches.
Several critical questions remain unanswered by the current reporting. Specifically, it is unclear why a U.S.-based operating organization like FWC2026 would pay the FIFA President directly rather than routing such funds through the central FIFA payroll. Furthermore, while FIFA claims compliance with tax laws, the report does not clarify if the $1.72 million was a bonus, a reimbursement, or a separate contractual fee, leaving a significant void in the public's understanding of the payment's purpose.
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