FIFA President Gianni Infantino has flown enough miles during the 2026 FIFA World Cup to circle the Earth’s equator twice.

Data cited by Bloomberg showed that Infantino travelled about 57,700 miles between Canada, Mexico and the United States aboard a Gulfstream G650ER operated by Qatar Airways and paid for by FIFA. The distance is equal to about 23 flights between Los Angeles and New York.

The travel reflects the huge scale of the 2026 World Cup, which features 48 teams and a record 104 matches. By the end of the tournament, Infantino is expected to have attended nearly half of the games.

A Tournament Like No Other

Infantino has been a regular presence at matches throughout the competition. His frequent appearances even sparked an online joke claiming he attended two games at the same time.

While that was not the case, he did attend two matches played in different cities on the same day on 13 occasions.

The tournament is the first World Cup to be hosted by three countries. It is also much larger than the 2022 edition in Qatar, where Infantino attended all 64 matches in a single host nation.

FIFA is already considering another expansion. Infantino recently told Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport that the governing body would consider increasing the tournament to 64 teams in the future.

Longest Travel Day

One of Infantino’s busiest days came on June 26 when his aircraft covered more than 5,500 miles.

After watching Ivory Coast defeat Curaçao in Philadelphia and spending the night in Miami, he flew to Dallas to visit Jordan’s team. He later travelled to Seattle to watch Egypt face Iran before returning to Miami for the night.

Miami has been his most-visited city during the tournament. Following Saturday’s third-place match between France and England, he will have attended six games there.

Travel Costs and Political Value

The travel schedule has also raised questions about cost and environmental impact.

Barry Shevlin, chief executive officer of private aviation company FlyUSA, estimated that the itinerary could cost more than $350,000 in jet fuel and produce more than 700 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Observers say the travel is not only about football.

Declan Abernethy, a lecturer at the Georgia Institute of Technology, said, “The way that this system works is by relationships.”

“He recognises that those relationships are critical. Being there gives him authority, but it also shows who he is beholden to,” Abernethy added.

Infantino is widely expected to seek a fourth term when FIFA’s 211-member Congress holds elections next March.