Fifa boss Gianni Infantino ‘jetted to Tahiti’ during Women’s World Cup despite attending every men’s game
Fifa boss Gianni Infantino left the Women’s World Cup after less than a week to fly by private jet to Tahiti – despite his presence at 64 matches of the men’s game in Qatar.
Ahead of the tournament, which kicked off in Australia and New Zealand on 20 July, Mr Infantino had lambasted broadcasters for not offering enough money for television rights, and called for the tournament to be shown the same respect as the men’s game.
But Sky News revealed on Friday that Mr Infantino’s private jet into New Zealand on 17 July, just days before the tournament began, and left for Tahiti on 25 July, after spending just a week there.
Fifa, which did not offer an immediate comment, was unable to confirm when Mr Infantino will return to the tournament, which continues until 20 August.
Videos on Mr Infantino’s Instagram page on Friday showed him meeting with men’s players in Tahiti, including those from the nation’s Beach Soccer team.
After Sky published its story, he also shared a photo of himself with the Tahiti women’s team, writing: “It was great to spend time at [the Tahitian Football Federation] earlier today. With the ongoing Fifa Women’s World Cup being hosted in Oceania, I feel every young girl and boy should be encouraged to play our beautiful sport.
“It was also great to meet and interact with Tahiti’s national women’s team as well as their national beach soccer team.
“This is a football country and together with President Thierry Ariiotima and his entire team, I look forward to growing our beautiful sport even further here!”
Mr Infantino suggested he would be spending more time away from the Women’s World Cup, adding that he was on “a journey which will take me to the members of Fifa in the Pacific Islands”.
His conduct contrasts with his actions during the men’s World Cup in Doha last December – when the Fifa president set up home in Doha as far back as 2021 and his children went to school there.
Mr Infantino said it had been a “privilege and pleasure” to have attended some of all the matches played during the men’s tournament – though this is a more difficult feat for the women’s tournament, given the more disparate distribution of games across Australia and New Zealand.
While he has attended a number of matches in New Zealand, it is unclear whether Mr Infantino has set foot on Australian soil since it was awarded co-hosting rights for the Women’s World Cup in 2020.
The ninth edition of the Women’s World Cup has seen the number of teams competing increase to 32 and a total package of prize money worth $152m triple what was on offer in France in 2019.
Fifa will reward individual players with at least $30,000 each depending on how far they go in the tournament, as well as pots for their team.
Mr Infantino said this is an “innovative distribution model that will have a positive impact on the careers of each of these players”.
