The world football headquarters (FIFA) has found itself at the center of a new serious case related to its financial transparency. According to official documents from the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and FIFA, which are available to ESPN, the organization's president Gianni Infantino received an undisclosed additional remuneration of $ 1.72 million.
A report published on Tuesday warns that the lack of public information about this transfer represents a potential direct violation of the statutes of the world football headquarters.
Where did the money come from?The data indicates that the payment was made in 2024 by FWC2026 – the US-based official company established by FIFA for the overall management and delivery of the 2026 World Cup in North America.
The $1.72 million payment is in addition to Infantino's standard salary and bonuses from FIFA for 2024, which total about $4.9 million. The key problem is that this additional income does not appear at all in FIFA's official annual financial report for the same year.
The statutes of the international headquarters clearly state:
“The individual remuneration of the FIFA President, the members of the Council and the FIFA Secretary General shall be made public.“
FIFA categorically denies violationsIn an official statement to A FIFA spokesperson said that the organization rejects all accusations and categorically denies having violated its own its regulations:
„FIFA does not pay a second salary to the president and strictly complies with all requirements for reporting remuneration. The annual salary of the president, as well as other contractual benefits, are decided by the independent remuneration subcommittee“, the headquarters emphasizes.
FIFA also adds that their accounting reports undergo an independent audit and that all declarations comply with the tax laws of Switzerland, the United States and other applicable jurisdictions.
“The headquarters is fully focused on the upcoming FIFA Council meeting on Thursday and looks forward to the discussions on the future development of the game of football after the most successful World Cup in history“, it concludes.
Another case about InfantinoThe revelations are another shake-up surrounding the 56-year-old Swiss, who has led world football since 2016. Earlier this year, he came under fire for his withdrawal of a plan to sell a 20 percent stake in World Cup rights to private equity funds.