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After months of criticism by world football clubs, Gianni Infantino, the long-serving president of FIFA, now faces fresh scrutiny. The new controversy comes following the revelations that he received a substantial undisclosed payment linked to the 2026 World Cup. The payment is potentially a violation of FIFA's statutes; however, the organization has stated that it "strongly rejects" any claims that it had violated its rules.
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An investigation by The Times has brought to light details from US tax filings that raise questions about transparency at the highest levels of world football’s governing body. The 2024 tax year lists $1.72 million in compensation for him, as per the FWC2026's IRS Form 990. The report stated that the FIFA president received similar payments, or potentially more, in 2025 and 2026.
FIFA president faces another scandal over undisclosed $1.7M World Cup payment; All you need to know
According to Internal Revenue Service Form 990 filings for FWC2026 US Inc., the American entity established by FIFA to organise and operate the 2026 tournament hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, Infantino was paid approximately $1.76 million in 2024. This figure comprised salary, bonus and other reportable compensation. The payment came on top of his official remuneration from FIFA itself, recorded in the organisation’s 2024 annual report as 4.274 million Swiss francs, roughly $4.9 million or £3.88 million at prevailing rates.
Crucially, the additional sum from the World Cup company did not appear in FIFA’s publicly available compensation disclosures. The 2024 form is the most recent publicly available filing. FIFA statutes are clear on the matter, as Article 43 requires that the individual compensation of the FIFA President, members of the Council and the Secretary General “shall be made public.”
Former FIFA governance committee chairman Miguel Maduro has described the omission as a potential clear contravention of these rules. Maduro stated that payments from companies related to FIFA must also be disclosed to uphold the obligation of full transparency. Notably, other senior figures connected to FWC2026, including Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom and CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani, who chaired the company’s board, received no comparable extra payments from the entity. Maduro has stated that he agrees that the FIFA president needs to be paid ‘very well,’ but it should be ‘transparent.”
FIFA has rejected the claims
FIFA has rejected the characterisation of the payment as a “second salary.” A spokesperson stated to USA Sports that the organisation “does not pay a second salary to the FIFA President and complies with all reporting requirements in relation to compensation.”
The president’s annual package and other contractual benefits, FIFA insists, are determined by an independent Compensation Sub-Committee. The governing body further added that its accounts are independently audited and that all declarations meet tax regulations in Switzerland, the United States and elsewhere. It has strongly rejected any suggestion of a statutory violation. The statement read:
"FIFA strongly rejects any claims that it has failed to disclose any financial information and has violated FIFA's Statutes.”
The statement further read:
“FIFA accounts are independently audited, and all declarations are in line with tax regulations in Switzerland, the United States and elsewhere."
Infantino already under pressure
The timing of the disclosures and allegations has intensified existing pressures on Infantino. He has already been under fire following proposals to sell stakes in major FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup. The proposal was to sell stakes to private investors, a plan that has alienated sections of the football confederations and prompted calls for greater accountability. This led to heavy criticism, including from huge European football clubs. This led to him organising a crucial meeting where he had to apologise for the proposals.
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The FIFA Council was due to meet in the days following the reports, with members expected to seek explanations on a range of controversies surrounding the president’s leadership. Several clubs withdrew their names in support of Infantino to continue as the president of FIFA. Meanwhile, Infantino has confirmed his intention to stand for re-election in March 2027.
This incident sits within a broader pattern of transparency challenges that have dogged FIFA for years, even after reforms introduced following earlier corruption scandals. Since 2016, FIFA has committed to publishing details of the president’s salary, bonuses and allowances in its annual reports. The appearance of an undeclared related-party payment undermines confidence in that process, regardless of whether it was formally authorised. Questions remain about whether similar arrangements existed for 2025 and 2026, with some sources indicating comparable or higher amounts may have been involved, though detailed filings for those years were not yet fully public at the time of the initial reporting.
While he has already faced a huge amount of backlash and controversy this year, Infantino’s ability to weather this latest storm will depend on how convincingly FIFA can demonstrate that its compensation practices fully align with its own statutes and the expectations of the wider football community. It remains to be seen how much support he is able to gather in the upcoming election.
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