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FIFA President Gianni Infantino flew a Gulfstream G650 jet 59,281 miles while attending 43 matches across 16 venues in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The aircraft logged 115 flight hours and made 23 North American border crossings before the July 19 final. Fortune reported the figures from Associated Press analysis of flight logs.
abcnews.go.comFIFA President Gianni Infantino covered 59,281 miles aboard a Gulfstream G650 jet during the 2026 World Cup, which concluded with the final in New Jersey on July 19. The aircraft, drawn from the Qatari government fleet and operated by Qatar Airways’ private charter division, completed 115 flight hours and crossed international borders within North America 23 times through the semifinals.
Infantino attended 43 matches and visited at least one game at each of the 16 venues.
He visited Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium five times, the most of any site, and attended two matches on 13 separate days. The jet used 21 airports, including smaller facilities such as Atlanta’s Fulton County Executive Airport and Miami’s Opa Locka Executive Airport. The longest flight, excluding the trip to Qatar, lasted 5 hours and 44 minutes from Miami to Seattle on June 15.
The shortest was a 28-minute hop from Seattle to Vancouver on July 6. On June 26 the aircraft flew 5,772 miles, departing Miami for Dallas, then Seattle for the Egypt-Iran match, and returning overnight to Miami for the Colombia-Portugal match. Infantino flew from Los Angeles to Mexico City on June 9 ahead of the opening match.
He interrupted the tournament to attend the funeral of Qatar’s former emir in Doha and returned in time for the semifinals. He also stopped in New York for a Fox & Friends interview and hosted a FIFA summit in Miami attended by representatives from all 211 member associations.
The Gulfstream was scheduled to fly from New Jersey to Miami on July 18 for the third-place match between England and France but remained grounded because of thunderstorms that delayed departures from New York-area airports, according to Federal Aviation Administration records.
Fortune reported that FIFA has pledged to cut carbon emissions from the World Cup and related activities by 50 percent by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2040.
These outlets didn't split into competing frames — coverage was uniform.
deadline.comPrediction-market platforms recorded trading volumes equal to 27 percent of legal U.S. sports-betting activity during the World Cup, up from 9 percent at the start of the year. Kalshi doubled its prior peak volume and led in daily app users over DraftKings and FanDuel.
catholicnewsagency.comThe Department of Justice determined that a 2022 law no longer prohibits the app on official devices following an ownership change. Agencies retain discretion to restrict access.
retailgazette.co.ukMore than 12 million compromised user accounts tied to 10 streaming services broadcasting the 2026 FIFA World Cup have appeared on the dark web. The accounts represent nearly $220 million in potential black-market sales.