FIFA omitted 1.76 million dollars paid to Infantino by its World Cup unit, The Times reports
A US tax filing cited by The Times shows FWC2026 US Inc. paid FIFA president Gianni Infantino 1.76 million dollars in 2024, a sum missing from the federation's annual report.
What The Times reported
The Times reported on Monday, 12 October 2026 that FIFA's annual report for 2024 showed president Gianni Infantino receiving 4.6 million euros, but left out a further sum. According to a US tax filing that the newspaper cross-checked, FWC2026 US Inc., the subsidiary FIFA created to organise the 2026 World Cup, paid him 1.76 million dollars in 2024. The Times estimates that similar or larger payments may also have been made in 2025 and 2026. Fanpage reports that the payments were not disclosed publicly and were only uncovered through the investigation. The timeline below sets out the dates the reporting cites.
- FWC2026 US Inc. paid Infantino 1.76 million dollars according to a US tax filing, not shown in FIFA's annual report
- The Times estimates similar or larger payments may have been made
- The Times publishes its investigation; FIFA does not explain the omission
- Scheduled election for FIFA president in Rabat, Morocco
Conflicting figures
Outlets do not agree on the amounts. The 2024 salary in FIFA's accounts appears as 4.6 million euros in Ouest France and Le Parisien, 4.59 million euros in Fanpage, and 4.274 million Swiss francs in Le Soir and Rai News. The undeclared sum appears as 1.76 million dollars in Le Soir and Rai News, and as more than 1.5 million euros in Ouest France, 20 Minutes and Le Parisien. Fanpage gives 1.58 million euros for 2024 and a total of 6.17 million euros across the two sums. The articles do not reconcile these figures, so each amount should be read as the outlet reports it.
The Miami villa
The Times also examined Infantino's housing in Miami. According to Le Soir, he stayed in a luxury villa bought in 2023 for 27 million dollars by Eric Schmidt, former Google chief executive. Fanpage places the property in the Sunset Islands area of Miami Beach. A spokesperson for Schmidt told The Times that Infantino paid market-rate rent for three years but no longer lives there. According to 20 Minutes, several sources cited in the investigation say the extra money paid for his use of the villa. The paper asked whether the payments helped cover his housing costs and his lifestyle in Miami, and FIFA did not confirm that hypothesis.
FIFA's response and calls for an inquiry
FIFA did not explain why the additional payments were missing from its annual accounts. A spokesperson said the president's salary and contractual benefits are set by the competent subcommittee and were declared to US authorities as required by law. Miguel Maduro, a former chair of FIFA's governance committee, called the omission a clear violation of the rules if the president received further sums from FIFA-linked companies without disclosure. He said FIFA's statutes require full transparency and is calling for an investigation. Le Soir describes his statement as a flagrant breach of the statutes.
Election backdrop
Infantino has led FIFA since 2016, according to Fanpage, and is seeking re-election. 20 Minutes says the vote is scheduled for 18 March in Rabat, Morocco, about five months after the report. According to 20 Minutes, many federations and confederations have publicly distanced themselves from him since a project to cede part of World Cup rights to private funds became public over the summer, a plan the article describes as abandoned. Ramon Vega has announced that he is also running for the presidency. Ouest France reports that Arsène Wenger could also stand.
