FIFA paid $4m toward Infantino’s US tax bill, report reveals

The previously undisclosed arrangement has come to light just two weeks before the deadline for candidates to enter the race against Infantino in the FIFA presidential election this March.

FIFA covered US income taxes for Gianni Infantino after the FIFA President relocated to Miami in the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup, according to an investigation by The New York Times.

The newspaper reports by the end of his time in the U.S. these payments will total approximately $4m; these disbursements were not included in FIFA’s official financial reporting.

Le Monde has published its own investigation too, and both outlets suggest football’s governing body applied a “tax equalisation” arrangement for Infantino – a mechanism intended for employees who have relocated to the US to prepare for the tournament, rather than for elected officials.

FIFA told The New York Times it has complied with its internal regulations and all applicable laws, and payments to senior management are subject to independent oversight. No further details regarding the arrangement were provided.

FIFA Committee approved payment in Bangkok

The arrangements were allegedly approved in May 2024 by a three-person compensation subcommittee, which took place during a meeting held in conjunction with the FIFA Congress in Bangkok. 

The proposal was put forward by Bruno Chiomento, the former Chairman of the Swiss branch of the accounting firm EY, who also serves as the chair of the FIFA Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee – one of the world football governing body’s four independent standing committees – and also leads the sub-committee responsible for determining the president’s remuneration. Le Monde says Chiomento and Infantino have been friends for some twenty years.

Both publications state Chiomento held an accreditation granting him access to every match during the 2026 World Cup. They also report football’s governing body changed the currency of Chiomento’s annual compensation from US dollars to Swiss francs (CHF), whereas the chairs of other committees continue to be paid in dollars.

In FIFA’s 2025 annual report, published in March, Infantino’s base salary is listed as 2.6m CHF, supplemented by a bonus of 2.2mCHF – an increase of 33% compared to each of the two preceding years. 

According to The Associated Press, the total compensation package is valued at approximately $6m. Since the implementation of governance reforms in 2016 – the day Infantino was first elected – FIFA has disclosed the remuneration of its President and senior executives.

Second pay disclosure question since October

On October 12, The Times reported US tax filings indicated Infantino had received approximately $1.7m in 2024 from FWC2026 US Inc., the entity established by football’s governing body to organise the tournament in the United States. 

FIFA responded with a statement, saying: “FIFA does not pay a second salary to its president, and it complies with all reporting requirements relating to compensation”. It added its accounts are independently audited and “all declarations comply with tax regulations in Switzerland, the United States and elsewhere”.

FIFA election in March

Infantino will stand for a fourth term during the FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco, on March 18, 2027, it was confirmed in September. Candidates must register by November 18.

UEFA has indicated it intends to put forward an opposing candidate. This European opposition followed the organisation’s July 28 announcement regarding FIFA Forward Enterprise, a commercial subsidiary with an estimated value of $20bn. 

Football’s govenring body had planned to sell minority stakes in this entity, with Thrive Eternal – a holding company owned by Joshua Kushner – as the lead investor. Joshua Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. 

A few days later, Infantino withdrew the plan.