Tim Cahill caught in controversy around FIFA boss at Women's World Cup
The FIFA president's astonishing act during the World Cup is at odds with one of his organisation's key messages.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been called out over an extraordinary schedule that's seen him travel around the Southern Hemisphere on a private jet during the Women's World Cup. Socceroos great Tim Cahill has also accompanied Infantino on part of an astonishing schedule that's seen the FIFA president fly some 40,000km in 50 hours of air time - equivalent to a lap around the Earth.
Infantino's whirlwind three-week tour - in a private jet operated by Qatar Executive - is at odds with one of FIFA's key messages at this World Cup around climate awareness and sustainability. The FIFA president touched down in New Zealand the day before the World Cup started and has kept a non-stop schedule since, taking in games and making side-trips to Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) members.
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Public records show his eye-catching itinerary has included at least 21 flights to watch matches in nine host cities so far, as well as a short stop in Canberra to meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Infantino has pledged to visit all 10 World Cup host cities and all 11 OFC members, which he calls his “Ocean’s 11”.
He’s taken three separate swings through the Pacific, visiting Tahiti, Cook Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and Fiji, with plans to complete the set of Ocenia countries by visiting Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia in the coming fortnight. Not to mention attending games at the various host cities.
Cahill - the Socceroos great-turned football ambassador - joined the FIFA president on his longest flight in the region so far - a 5500km overnight trip from Perth to Vanuatu. Cahill's mother was born in Samoa and the striker’s son Kyah has represented Samoa at youth level, as did Cahill before switching his allegiances to Australia.
“This is a country I’m very proud of, my mother’s homeland,” Cahill said in a distributed video from his visit. “It’s special having Gianni here supporting football and helping the development of infrastructure.”
Packed schedule on private jet at odds with FIFA's message
FIFA argue Infantino's packed travel schedule across the Southern Hemisphere is easier now than if he were travelling to and from FIFA's Zurich headquarters. However, his extravagant travel stands in contrast to FIFA’s messaging at host stadiums in Australia and New Zealand, which feature “educational football-themed green spaces” assuring fans that “when nature wins, we win”.
The installations, built from recycled materials, offer sustainability tips such as “catch public transport” and use your own water bottle. The FIFA president's use of the private jet is also at odds with his own pledge in 2016, when he succeeded disgraced president Sepp Blatter. “The money of FIFA has to be used to develop football... it’s your money, not the money of the FIFA president,” Infantino told delegates at the 2016 Extraordinary Congress prior to his narrow election.
The travel also calls into question FIFA’s own climate pledges to minimise carbon emissions. The private jet uses two Rolls-Royce engines that burn more than 1500 litres of fuel each hour it is in the air.
With commercial travel limited through the Pacific, the private jet is seen as the only viable way that Infantino can meet his pledge to visit the 11 OFC nations, which are the he smallest and poorest of FIFA’s six confederations but are among his strongest supporters. Per capita, they have been the biggest beneficiaries of one of Infantino’s signature programs: the FIFA Forward program, a funding pool which gives each of the 211 members the same-sized grant.
The first edition of FIFA Forward saw every country given $A1.5 million annually to spend on local projects, such as pitches, and football administration. Under Infantino's watch those funds have doubled so every OFC member will receive $A3 million this year.
Infantino's seven-year presidency has coincided with a significant growth in commercial revenue for FIFA. He said last month the governing body would be “breaking even” for staging the Women’s World Cup, with roughly $A763 million in revenues and costs, including a record $A167 million in prizemoney to players and associations. FIFA's coffers will also be swollen in coming years as the next edition of the men's World Cup in 2026 expands from 32 to 48 teams.
with AAP
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