▲ FIFA President Gianni Infantino
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has become embroiled in a controversy regarding a violation of statutes after it was revealed that he received a massive, undisclosed compensation package from a U.S. entity established for the 2026 North and Central American World Cup.
Citing Internal Revenue Service (IRS) data and other documents, ESPN reported that Infantino received an additional compensation of 1.72 million dollars (approximately 2.3 billion won) in 2024 from 'FWC2026', the operating entity for the World Cup.
This amount was paid separately from his existing annual salary and allowances of 4.86 million dollars (approximately 6.5 billion won).
Controversy erupted particularly as details of the additional compensation were found to have been omitted from FIFA's annual financial report.
According to Article 43, Paragraph 13 of the FIFA Statutes, individual remuneration for key executives, including the president, must be disclosed.
In response, Miguel Maduro, former chair of the FIFA Governance Committee, stated in an interview with foreign media, "If he received money from a FIFA-related entity without disclosing it, it is a clear violation of the rules. The president's remuneration must be transparent."
On the other hand, FIFA countered by saying, "We did not pay a double salary to the president. All financial information has passed independent audits in accordance with regulations."
(Photo: Getty Images)
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