Gianni Infantino Responds to World Cup Hosts Funding Controversy With Unpopular Message
FIFA president Gianni Infantino offered a “heartfelt thank you” to the 2026 World Cup’s host cities, yet most would presumably trade that for the millions of dollars many are reportedly owed.
It was claimed earlier this month that the 11 U.S. host cities to stage World Cup matches across June and July were privately promised $1 million each to contribute towards legacy projects. Almost one month on from the tournament’s conclusion, these payments are supposedly yet to arrive.
Without any contractual obligation—it’s said that FIFA’s senior management communicated these pledges verbally—there is no way for the host cities to force Infantino’s hand. Given world soccer’s governing body stands to earn $15 billion from the tournament, a sense of confusion has swept over the host cities still waiting for a fraction of that income.
Infantino is yet to directly address these reports, but did take to Instagram on Monday to offer his congratulations to each venue. The caption fell beneath of video of the divisive Swiss executive flashing a thumbs up, smiling and signing autographs at every stadium.
“Your world-class venues and extraordinary hospitality made the FIFA World Cup 2026 an historic celebration of football,” Infantino wrote. “Together, we welcomed the world and united billions of people through the joy of the beautiful game!”
A message of thanks at a time of angst among the majority of host cities is hardly the first example of Infantino delivering an unpopular message.
The FIFA president is still facing backlash for his aborted plan to privatize the World Cup and sell off stakes to the extended family of U.S. President Donald Trump. While UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian federations have taken a firm stance against Infantino ahead of next year’s presidential elections, cracks have started to emerge in the concrete base of support he had been able to count upon.
First Show of Dissent From Infantino’s Trusted Base
Isha Johansen, the former Sierra Leone soccer association president who also served on the FIFA Council, broke the ranks of widespread African support for Infantino with a public call for his resignation.
CAF, the African soccer confederation, joined Argentina in pledging its support to the spiraling executive. “We are committed to continue working together with FIFA, its member associations, other football confederations and stakeholders to safeguard and adhere to governance, due process, and transparency global best practises and to contribute to the development and growth of football worldwide,” president Patrice Motsepe declared.
However, Johansen urged for a change of stance on the continent. “Clearly it seems that he [Infantino] has crossed the line and there has been a breach of trust here,” she told ESPN this week. “I have nothing personal against Gianni. It’s not about the person. It’s about the act, the deed, the ethics behind the proposal.”
In return for auctioning off future commercial earnings of soccer’s biggest competition, Infantino had pledged up to $40 million for each nation. Johansen acknowledged that the financial realities of many African associations make it difficult to reject such a proposal: “So that particular FA president, how is he going to come back to his country and face the head of state to say, I turned down $40 million?”
Yet, Johansen argued that there needs to be a question of where these funds would come from. “Nobody wants to talk about the ethical aspect of how we’re getting that money, how this money was landed to us or given to us or offered to us,” she lamented. “Nobody wants to ask how ethical that is.”
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