Infantino Missed No Venue, Circled the Globe Two and a Half Times During World Cup

Pulse Sports Team 10:40 - 19 July 2026

FIFA President Gianni Infantino spent over 100 hours in the air during the World Cup across the USA, Canada, and Mexico, covering more than 60,000 miles (approximately 96,500 kilometers) – roughly two and a half times the Earth's circumference.

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The Associated Press analyzed flight records of a Gulfstream G650 operated by the private charter division of Qatar Airways, a World Cup sponsor. According to FlightAware, a flight tracking website, the aircraft averaged more than one flight per day since the first match of the tournament.

Sources indicate Infantino attended at least one match in all 16 host cities. His most frequent stop was Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, where he watched five games.

On thirteen occasions, he witnessed two matches in a single day, often at stadiums hundreds of miles apart. This required him to spend time at 21 airports and cross international borders 23 times.

His longest flight lasted 344 minutes, roughly equivalent to three full football matches. This journey took him from Miami to Seattle, where Infantino attended the Belgium vs. Egypt game on June 15th. By the third-place playoff on Saturday, he had seen a total of 43 matches. His shortest flight, from Seattle to Vancouver, was just 28 minutes.