Gianni Infantino could have received a salary of at least €30m, plus bonuses, under a plan to sell part of FIFA’s World Cup rights through a new commercial venture, according to The Times.
The FIFA president’s proposed remuneration was linked to the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise project, which was designed around the sale of 20% of the rights to the World Cup. The scheme was expected to generate about €3.65bn for FIFA.
Infantino’s possible earnings under the plan would have been more than 10 times his regular salary as FIFA president. He currently receives about €3m, meaning the proposed figure would have represented a substantial increase in his usual remuneration.
The details were reported by the British newspaper The Times, which said the plan attracted strong criticism before it was eventually dropped.
Infantino had repeatedly insisted that he would not personally become wealthy as a result of his position. However, that claim has been called into question following new disclosures about the salary he could have received through FIFA Forward Enterprise.
The proposed structure involved FIFA using the company, which is affiliated with world football’s governing body, to sell a portion of the commercial rights connected to the World Cup. Under the reported arrangement, 20% of those rights would have been transferred for sale, with the resulting deal forecast to bring FIFA approximately €3.65bn.
The Times reported that Infantino’s salary would have started at €30m and could have risen further through additional bonuses. That amount was described as being significantly higher than the €3m he normally earns as FIFA president.
The report does not say that Infantino received the €30m salary. Instead, the figure relates to the terms that were reportedly attached to the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise project, which was later abandoned after facing intense opposition.
The disclosure comes after Infantino had consistently presented himself as someone who would not use the FIFA presidency to build personal wealth. The newly reported details have therefore raised questions about the relationship between his public statements and the financial arrangements considered as part of the rights-selling proposal.
At the centre of the plan was the idea of using a separate FIFA-linked company to secure substantial income from World Cup rights. Although the proposal was ultimately shelved, the reported salary and bonus arrangements have brought renewed attention to the project and to the level of remuneration that could have been available to FIFA’s president.
The Times’ account, as reported in the British press, identifies the €30m figure as the minimum salary Infantino would have received under the proposed venture. It also makes clear that the amount would have been in addition to bonuses, while his established salary as FIFA president is about €3m.
