Infantino received a large pay increase in 2023
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Football’s governing body FIFA has apparently been paying up to $5,000 (CHF4,400) a month for the daughter of its president, Gianni Infantino, to attend a school in Miami.
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Infantino has been spending time in Florida as the United States gears up to hosting the World Cup tournament in 2026, alongside Mexico and Canada. He was criticised in the media for the amount of time he spent in Qatar before the 2022 edition.
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FIFA defended its decision to also pay school fees for Infantino’s daughter in an article by SonntagsBlick. “The total benefits are comparable to the remuneration packages offered to executives by other international companies and sports organisations based in Switzerland,” FIFA stated. It is unclear whether the school fees are still being paid.
The SonntagsBlick also pointed out that FIFA contributes towards the cost of Infantino’s flat in Paris and a home in the Swiss canton of Zug, which the newspaper says costs CHF7,950 a month to rent.
FIFA says that Infantino’s remuneration package is contractually regulated and determined by an independent committee. The president’s base salary was increased 33% to CHF4.13 million in 2023.
The newspaper article points out that FIFA receive tax breaks as a sporting association. “In percentage terms, FIFA pays no more than a bowls club,” the article states.
In September 2023, FIFA decided to relocate the legal department, internal audit and risk management from its headquarters in Zurich to the US, affecting around 100 jobs.
