FIFA Is Covering About $4 Million of Infantino's U.S. Taxes and Did Not Disclose It, NYT Reports

FIFA is covering the American income taxes of its president, Gianni Infantino, a bill expected to total about $4 million, according to the New York Times. The Times, citing internal documents and two people familiar with the benefit who were not authorized to discuss internal matters, reported that the arrangement was never disclosed in FIFA's filings. The Times said it was approved at a meeting in Bangkok in May 2024. Inside World Football reported that the liability has not been disclosed in FIFA's annual report either. Le Monde has reported the same tax coverage, according to Goal.

How the decision was made

The three-person committee that sets pay for FIFA's top officials was finishing a routine meeting when Bruno Chiomento raised the issue, the Times reported. Chiomento is a Swiss accountant, a former chair of Ernst & Young's Swiss unit, and FIFA's chief of governance, audit and compliance.

Infantino had moved to Miami ahead of the 2026 World Cup, where he would face higher income taxes than in Switzerland. Chiomento argued FIFA should offset the difference through 2026. He pointed out that FIFA was already doing the same for roughly a dozen staffers relocating to the U.S. for the tournament, according to the Times. The other two members agreed quickly, and FIFA would end up paying 100% of the bill.

The Times reported that Chiomento sought advice from outside experts, including Infantino's personal attorney, David Zollinger. Senior FIFA officials questioned the decision, the message it sent and the potential conflict of interest in Zollinger's involvement, the Times reported.

Goal, citing the Times and Le Monde, reported that the tax equalization mechanism was meant for FIFA employees who relocated, not elected officials like Infantino.

The money around it

Infantino earns about $6 million a year, according to FIFA's annual report. The Times reported that FIFA also pays $600,000 a year in rent on his Miami home, along with housing in Switzerland and Paris.

Inside World Football reported that Infantino's benefits include use of a private jet provided to FIFA by sponsor Qatar Airways. It also cited Josimar's report that FIFA paid his daughter's school fees in Miami.

The tax figure sits oddly with something FIFA has said before. According to Inside World Football, FIFA previously told Swiss media that Infantino pays his taxes in Switzerland. FIFA has not explained how that squares with a U.S. tax bill it is covering.

FIFA's response

FIFA's defense is short. "All FIFA's internal regulations and processes, and all applicable laws, have been followed," it said in a statement to the Times. "FIFA ensures all reporting and taxation requirements are met." It said payments to senior management are independently audited. It declined to provide further detail about the tax arrangement.

The comparison Chiomento drew, that other relocated staff already receive tax offsets, is the obvious argument for treating this as routine. The open issue is whether it extends to an elected president, and whether it had to be disclosed. FIFA's bylaws, adopted after the 2015 corruption scandal in which the Justice Department charged more than 40 soccer officials, require that the compensation of top leadership be made public.

Chiomento under scrutiny

UEFA has already challenged Chiomento's role as chair of FIFA's electoral committee. In a letter to FIFA general secretary Mattias Grafström, quoted by Inside World Football, UEFA wrote that Chiomento "has known the FIFA President for approximately 20 years and is regularly invited to FIFA events and competitions at FIFA's expense." UEFA also said it understood he attended the entire 2026 World Cup as an accredited individual with expenses covered for more than five weeks. It asked whether FIFA would consider his recusal for the presidential election, with his deputy taking over.

The Times also reported that Chiomento's $250,000 compensation was converted to 250,000 Swiss francs, raising his income by about $50,000 at current exchange rates.

The political backdrop

Infantino has been under pressure since July, when it emerged that he held secret talks to sell a share of World Cup rights to a company owned by the brother of Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law. The New York Post reported the figure at $4.2 billion. After outrage from soccer officials around the world, Infantino scrapped the plan and promised an independent audit of how FIFA makes decisions.

He is due to stand for a fourth term at the FIFA presidential election on March 18 in Vancouver. He is the only declared candidate so far, Goal reported.

Two questions are open. FIFA has not said whether it will disclose the tax payments in its filings, and it has not said whether Chiomento will step aside from running the vote that decides Infantino's future.