​It turns out that the most lucrative role at the World Cup isn’t lighting up the stadium scoreboard or coaching a team—it’s occupying a seat in the presidential suite. Running FIFA resembles professional chaos management more than a conventional sports job, with Gianni Infantino largely spending his days cashing hefty checks while steering through a constant swirl of controversy. At the tournament, he has positioned himself at the center of attention, from viral accusations of bias toward Argentina to a dramatic, politically tinged move that saw Folarin Balogun’s red card erased after a casual phone call from Donald Trump.
The FIFA president is about to face even more scrutiny as fans peg his annual earnings in this high-profile role. Gianni Infantino’s annual compensation is about $6 million, a figure that matches the salary of Mauricio Pochettino in his role as manager of the US men’s national team. FIFA’s most recent annual financial report confirms that Infantino received a total compensation package of $6 million for 2025. The climb to this figure came from a 33% rise in his annual bonus, up by 550,000 Swiss francs to a total of 2.2 million Swiss francs, while his base salary stayed steady at 2.6 million Swiss francs.
Fans on social media expressed surprise at the size of the payout, arguing that it seems excessive for the work performed. One commenter wrote, “Bro’s salary goes up every time fans get angry,” questioning what exactly he does all day. Another added, “That’s €16,700 every day. That’s crazy money.” A third fan contended, “If coaches are earning €10 million annually, this is still low for the FIFA president,” implying that the role should command far more given the level of responsibility.