FIFA President Infantino receives undisclosed compensation... ‘Controversy over violation of articles of incorporation’

Received $1.72 million in compensation in addition to annual salary of $4.86 million

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Young-ho = Gianni Infantino, president of the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA), became embroiled in controversy over violation of the articles of association after it was revealed that he received a large amount of undisclosed compensation from an American corporation established in connection with the 2026 North and Central America World Cup.

ESPN reported on the 14th (Korean time) that Chairman Infantino received additional compensation of $1.72 million (about 2.3 billion won) from 'FWC2026', the 2024 World Cup operating corporation, based on data from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

This is an amount paid separately in addition to the existing annual salary and allowances of $4.86 million (approximately KRW 6.5 billion).

In particular, the additional compensation was embroiled in controversy after it was revealed that the payment details were omitted from FIFA's annual financial report.

According to Article 43, Paragraph 13 of the FIFA Articles of Association, the personal remuneration of key executives, including the president, must be disclosed.

Regarding this, former FIFA governance chairman Miguel Maduro said in an interview with a foreign media outlet, "If you receive money from a FIFA-related company but do not disclose it, it is a clear violation of the regulations. The president's remuneration must be transparent."

On the other hand, FIFA refuted, saying, "We did not pay double salaries to the president. All financial information passed an independent audit in accordance with regulations."