Multiple flights in a single day. Nearly 60,000 miles. More than 100 hours aloft.FIFA President Gianni Infantino got some serious air time over the course of the 2026 World Cup, the tournament’s most far-flung edition ever. He crisscrossed North America for matches, meetings and other appearances during the competition, which took place in three countries, 16 cities and four time zones, and ends with Sunday’s final in New Jersey. To track his travels, The Associated Press analyzed flight logs for a private business jet used by Infantino in recent years, along with photos taken by AP photographers and images posted on Instagram by FIFA and the head of world soccer’s governing body himself. The analysis shows that by the time either Argentina or Spain emerges as champion, he will have flown far enough to circle the planet almost 2 1/2 times. Access to a Gulfstream G650 jet from the fleet of the Qatari government made Infantino’s prodigious jet-setting possible. The aircraft is operated by the private charter division of Qatar Airways, a World Cup sponsor. Since a June 9 flight from Los Angeles to Mexico City ahead of the tournament’s opening match, the aircraft averaged more than one flight a day and on multiple days made more than three, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. Along with attending matches, Infantino’s itinerary included stops in New York for an interview on Fox & Friends and in Miami for a FIFA summit attended by representatives from the organization’s 211 member associations. He also flew to Doha to attend the funeral of Qatar’s former emir before returning to the U.S. in time for the World Cup semifinals.FIFA did not respond to an emailed request for comment about Infantino’s travel schedule and arrangements.Here’s a look at some of the numbers racked up by the person overseeing the tournament that will have featured a record 104 matches spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico, the largest geographic footprint in World Cup history. The number of World Cup matches Infantino attended before Sunday. FlightAware showed the Gulfstream originally was scheduled to fly from New Jersey to Miami in time for the third-place match between England and France but never took off. Thunderstorms caused flight delays at New York City area airports on Saturday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Infantino saw at least one match at all 16 World Cup venues. Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, where he attended five games, is the venue he visited the most. The number of days Infantino attended two matches, often …
