Today in FIFA’s total lack of transparency, newly elected president Gianni Infantino told Reuters he still wasn’t sure what he would be paid as FIFA president.
“I have no idea yet. I know you can’t believe it but it’s not [for the] money that I was candidate to become Fifa president. I have not discussed with anyone about my pay or what my pay will be. We will see.”
It’s kind of amazing that Infantino, the man voted to run the organization is in the dark about his potential salary. You’d think FIFA would want to be open about that kind of stuff so people wouldn’t be breathing down their neck given the massive amount of corruption that’s transpired over the years.
Former president Sepp Blatter, who’s currently under suspension for six years for corruption, has never had his salary go public, so there’s no real precedent to base Infantino’s off of. Although estimations suggest it’s somewhere in the $5 million – $8 million range, and could have been as high as $16 million.
Either way, Infantino is about get paid. He’s got a lot of work to right away, as bidding for the 2026 World Cup is set to begin.
“Definitely I think we need to launch the bidding process in the next couple of months, probably before the next congress in May,” Infantino said.
If FIFA wants to regain respect from fans and organization members alike, they should aim to be more forthcoming with salary numbers – otherwise, it seems they’ve learned nothing from past mistakes.
