Exclusive: FIFA president Gianni Infantino was a frequent presence at World Cup matches, but left the tournament the day before the semi-finals began and flew to Qatar.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino flew out to attend the funeral (Image: FIFA via Getty Images)
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has made a dramatic exit from the 2026 World Cup, crossing the Atlantic to pay tribute to Qatar’s late ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
On Sunday, a private jet linked to the FIFA president left Miami for Doha, where Infantino had watched England beat Norway 2-1 in the tournament’s quarter-finals.
The next day they arrived in the capital of Qatar.
Infantino was seen as one of the mourners for the emir’s late father, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
He plans to return to the United States within the next 24 hours.
Mr. Infantino has long cultivated close ties with Qatar and its ruling Al-Thani family.
The Gulf nation became the first Middle East to host the 2022 World Cup, but the plight of migrant workers involved in building stadiums and infrastructure sparked a huge controversy.
Qatar’s former Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani passed away on Sunday morning at the age of 74, Qatar’s Amiri Diwan announced.
“May God have mercy and forgive him,” he said in a statement on social media.
Qatar announced four days of national mourning starting Sunday.
Spain will face France in the first semi-final of the World Cup on Tuesday night (Image: Getty)
Sheikh Hamad’s funeral will be held on Sunday after Maghrib (evening) prayers at the Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque in Doha, and he will be buried at the Lusail cemetery, the Diwan newspaper said.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will receive mourners from heads of state, ruling family members, dignitaries and citizens at Lusail Palace from Monday, July 13 to Wednesday, July 15.
This is not the first time Infantino has withdrawn from a major tournament organized by the governing body of which he is president. In 2023, during the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, she flew across the Pacific Ocean for several days on a private jet, which caused a huge backlash.
Infantino, angered by the criticism, responded on social media: “Calm down, relax, live and let live!”
Infantino has come under heavy criticism for flying around North America on a private jet provided by Qatar during the tournament. Norwegian research magazine Josimar reported that he flew 50,000km during the group stage.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with Sky Glass ‘designed for soccer’
From £6
sky
Get the deal here
Shoppers can now upgrade to a Sky smart TV ‘designed for football’ from £6 a month when used with a Sky TV and Netflix package.
