FIFA president Gianni Infantino is facing renewed calls to resign following revelations that he received an additional £1.3 million payment in 2024 from a company established to organise the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite the amount not being separately disclosed in FIFA’s annual report.

The payment, equivalent to approximately $1.76 million, was reportedly made by FWC2026, the United States-based entity responsible for managing and operating the tournament. Details emerged from US tax filings and were reported by international media outlets, including The Times and ESPN.

The disclosure has intensified scrutiny of Infantino’s financial arrangements, particularly because FIFA has published details of his salary, bonuses and allowances in its annual reports since 2016.

According to FIFA’s 2024 Annual Report, Infantino received a gross base salary of 2.6 million Swiss francs, alongside variable compensation of 1.65 million Swiss francs and flat-rate allowances of 24,000 Swiss francs. The variable compensation was due to be paid in 2025.

However, the additional payment from FWC2026 was not separately listed in the report, raising questions about how compensation linked to the World Cup organising entity was accounted for alongside the remuneration FIFA publicly declared for its president.

FIFA has rejected suggestions that it violated its reporting obligations, insisting that its financial disclosures comply with applicable regulations.

Article 43, paragraph 13 of FIFA’s statutes states: “The individual compensation of the FIFA President, the members of the Council and the FIFA Secretary General shall be made public.”

Responding to the allegations, a FIFA spokesperson said: “FIFA does not pay a second salary to the FIFA President and complies with all reporting requirements in relation to compensation. The FIFA President’s annual compensation, as well as other contractual benefits, are decided by the independent Compensation Sub-Committee.

“FIFA strongly rejects any claims that it has failed to disclose any financial information and has violated FIFA’s Statutes. FIFA accounts are independently audited, and all declarations are in line with tax regulations in Switzerland, the United States and elsewhere.

“FIFA is fully focused on the FIFA Council meeting on Thursday and looks forward to discussions with its members to further grow the game following the most successful FIFA World Cup in history.”

The controversy has also drawn attention to compensation arrangements involving other senior football officials. FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström reportedly received no additional payment from FWC2026. The same was reported of CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani, who chaired the company’s board.

The latest disclosure comes amid wider questions about Infantino’s leadership and FIFA’s decision-making. Earlier this year, he faced criticism over a proposal to sell private investors a stake in FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup. The plan was subsequently abandoned.

Infantino became FIFA president in 2016 and has indicated that he intends to seek another term in 2027. He was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.

His leadership has nevertheless come under increasing scrutiny as the next presidential election approaches. The latest payment disclosure has placed financial transparency at the centre of the debate over his continued leadership of world football.

While FIFA maintains that it has complied with its reporting obligations, questions remain about the distinction between the compensation disclosed in its annual report and the additional payment identified in US tax filings. (The Guardian)