A report by the Associated Press (AP) revealed the exceptional figures of the travels of FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the 2026 World Cup, the largest in the tournament's history, as he moved between the United States, Canada, and Mexico covering a distance of about 95,403 kilometers, equivalent to circling the Earth more than twice.

According to the report, Infantino spent about 115 hours in the air aboard a private Gulfstream G650 jet from the Qatari government fleet, operated by Qatar Airways, the tournament's official sponsor, to keep up with the events of the first edition of the World Cup held in three countries and hosted by 16 cities across four time zones.

The FIFA President's travels included the use of 21 different airports, with a total distance of 59,281 miles (95,403 kilometers), not counting his trip to the Qatari capital Doha to attend the funeral of the late Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, which alone took about 29 hours of round-trip flight.

Infantino managed to attend 43 matches before the final, and watched at least one match at all 16 tournament stadiums, with Hard Rock Stadium in Miami being the most visited venue, where he attended five matches. He also succeeded in attending two matches on the same day over 13 days, despite some stadiums being hundreds of kilometers apart.

June 26 recorded the highest daily travel distance, as he covered 5,772 miles (about 9,300 kilometers) in one of his busiest travel days throughout the tournament.

The report noted that the FIFA President's travel schedule reflects the unprecedented scale of the 2026 World Cup, but it also raised environmental questions, as his private jet crossed 23 international borders within North America during the semifinal stage alone, at a time when FIFA has pledged to reduce carbon emissions related to its tournaments by 50% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.

Despite FIFA's commitment to a sustainability strategy, the heavy reliance on private jets by top tournament officials has drawn criticism, especially as the organization did not respond to AP's inquiries about the details of Infantino's travel arrangements.

Ahead of the final match between Argentina and Spain at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the FIFA President faced an unexpected delay due to thunderstorms that disrupted air traffic in the New York area, leading to the cancellation of a planned flight to Miami to attend the third-place match.

These figures highlight the scale of logistical challenges posed by the first World Cup held in three countries, with flights ranging from short distances of just 28 minutes between Seattle and Vancouver to cross-continental trips lasting about 6 hours between Miami and Seattle, reflecting the vast expanse of the biggest tournament in football history.