FIFA Paid President's US Tax Bill

FIFA will have paid approximately $4 million of its president's U.S. income taxes by the time Gianni Infantino's American assignment concludes. This financial arrangement was approved in May 2024 and applies to the period leading up to and including the 2026 World Cup.

Infantino relocated from Zurich to Miami in 2023 to oversee the tournament. The move placed him in a jurisdiction with higher income tax rates than Switzerland. During a committee meeting in Bangkok, Bruno Chiomento, a Swiss accountant and FIFA chief of governance, proposed that the organization offset this extra burden. His colleagues agreed to pay 100% of Infantino's U.S. tax liability.

The decision was not disclosed in FIFA's public compensation filings. Senior officials expressed concern that the benefit remained hidden from standard transparency reports. Infantino earns roughly $6 million per year, according to FIFA's annual report. The tax payments are separate from his base salary.

FIFA stated in a statement that all internal regulations and applicable laws were followed. The organization added that its reporting and taxation requirements are met and that payments to senior management are independently audited. FIFA declined to provide further details on the specific structure of the tax arrangement.

The tax benefit aligns with a pattern of perks granted to Infantino and his close associates. Chiomento, who chairs the compensation committee, received a salary increase by switching his pay from dollars to Swiss francs. This currency change boosted his annual income by about $50,000. Other committee heads retained dollar-denominated salaries.

Infantino's personal lawyer, David Zollinger, advised on the tax matter despite potential conflicts of interest. FIFA's administrative staff raised concerns about hiring Zollinger for issues affecting his client. Chiomento also approved a security contract with GRIZ Global Solutions for Infantino's wife during the World Cup. The daily rate for agents was $1,300, excluding vehicle costs.

Recent events have intensified scrutiny of Infantino's leadership. In July, news emerged that he held talks to sell World Cup rights to a company owned by the brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump. This revelation sparked a global outcry among governments and soccer officials. Infantino is standing for reelection in March.

The organization also expanded housing benefits for the president under a new compensation policy. Infantino can now request FIFA-funded accommodation in any city with a FIFA office. These offices include Panama, Barbados, Indonesia, and Morocco. He previously lived in a $27 million mansion owned by Eric Schmidt in Miami. He now resides in an apartment bought for $8.6 million by a Delaware company.

The new policy, approved just before the World Cup, also loosened rules on gifts, VIP invitations, and private jet usage. It established fixed compensation for leaders of advisory committees. Staff members worried the timing could appear as an attempt to curry favor before the upcoming election. Rizzello, a lawyer and former classmate of Infantino, helped draft this policy and received direct input from the president.

FIFA maintains that its governance framework is robustly applied to hiring and guest management. The organization uses Qatar's national carrier for frequent private jet travel. Chiomento and Zollinger traveled on special FIFA charter flights during the tournament. They also held VIP access to matches, a privilege not extended to other committee members.