The World Cup is supposed to be about the players and the fans. But the man running the show had a very different travel experience.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino spent the tournament zipping between host cities in a Gulfstream G650ER private jet owned by Qatar Executive, the private-jet arm of Qatar Airways. The airline is the World Cup's official sponsor, and the jet was part of the deal.
To do that, he needed to cover serious ground. That is almost three times the Earth's circumference.
Some of the hops were absurdly short. The flight from Seattle to Vancouver took just 27 minutes. At the other extreme, he made the five-hour trip from Vancouver to Miami twice. On his busiest day, June 26, he logged 5,500 miles in the air.
You might wonder why a well-funded organization like FIFA needed a private plane for its boss. The answer is simple: time.
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Commercial airline schedules do not line up with a tournament that has games in 16 different cities. With matches sometimes on the same day in different time zones, Infantino could not afford to wait around at airport security. The jet enabled him to watch several matches on the same day and still rest in a proper bed each night.
The jet itself is not cheap. A new Gulfstream G650ER sells for around $65 million. It can carry 13 passengers and fly at 610 miles per hour.
Infantino spent more than 140 hours onboard during the tournament. That is nearly six full days in the air.
He also used the plane for a non-World-Cup trip. In an Instagram post, Infantino wrote, "I went to Qatar to present my sympathies to the Emir following the death of his father."
And if you are wondering which team got the most attention from the president - it was England. Infantino attended five of their games, more than any other team.
The private jet is a perk that comes from a sponsorship deal. Ticket prices have sparked considerable fan frustration, as they are markedly higher than those of earlier World Cups once inflation is taken into account.
This extravagant travel comes amid criticism that FIFA prioritizes sponsor relationships over fan experience. The organization's reliance on corporate perks, such as the private jet, underscores the growing commercialization of the sport. Additionally, Infantino's close association with Qatar's ruling family, including a personal condolence visit, highlights the diplomatic ties built through such sponsorship deals.
His travel patterns illustrate why affluent individuals are eager to spend millions on purchasing a private plane or pay tens of thousands per hour for a charter.
The tournament ends with a final that will be watched by millions. Infantino and President Trump appeared together at a media event on Friday.
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