FIFA boss Gianni Infantino flies into Sydney in a luxury private jet wearing custom sneakers that made him the butt of jokes at the Qatar World Cup
FIFA boss Gianni Infantino flies into Sydney in a luxury private jet wearing custom sneakers that made him the butt of jokes at the Qatar World Cup
- Football supremo arrived in port city on Wednesday
- Came from a meeting with the Australian Prime Minister in Canberra
- The choice of footwear was eye-catching last December
FIFA president Gianni Infantino spared no expense traveling from Australia’s capital to Sydney during what he had just called ‘the greatest women’s World Cup ever’ – but his choice of footwear stole the spotlight as he stepped off a private jet on Wednesday afternoon.
The 53-year-old came to the port city from Canberra, where he visited the parliament building earlier in the day and praised the way the host countries had organized the tournament during a meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
He was photographed stepping out of a Gulfstream G650 jet in Sydney before stepping into a limousine dressed in a suit and a pair of custom Adidas sneakers that made headlines at last year’s Men’s World Cup in Qatar.
The boots feature ‘FIFA’ printing on the sides – a feature football fans and greats of the game had a field day with when Infantino paired them with a suit at trophy ceremonies last December.
Infantino looked dressed for a round of summits as he stepped off his private jet in Sydney on Wednesday afternoon — save for his eye-catching shoes
The custom Adidas sneakers with ‘FIFA’ printed on them saw fans and football greats such as Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker take the mickey out of the 53-year-old in Qatar last year
Premier League legend Alan Shearer joked that his fellow icon Gary Lineker had borrowed ‘Gianni Infantino’s trainers’ when the ex-Tottenham and England striker returned from the Cup.
“Did you borrow those sneakers from Infantino!!” wrote Shearer, who had worked alongside Lineker as an expert in Qatar.
Lineker responded to the joke with two laughing emojis.
The pair had also pointed out the unusual boots as Infantino officiated the trophy ceremony following Argentina’s victory over France.
Lineker quipped, “Interesting choice of trainers there from Gianni Infantino,” prompting Shearer to ask, “How old is he?”
Football fans couldn’t pass up the chance to meet the sport’s most high-profile driver as he put on the boots for the third-place Croatia award ceremony.
Infantino got into a waiting limousine after meeting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the country’s capital
The FIFA boss was ribbed by fans after pairing the boots with a suit as he handed out trophies at the Men’s World Cup in Qatar (pictured)
Infantino (pictured with Anthony Albanese) said Australia and New Zealand are holding ‘the best Women’s World Cup ever’
It was written on social media that FIFA should “get rid of Infantino for wearing white sneakers with a suit”.
Another added: “Gianni Infantino always looks like a boy in a suit whose ‘good shoes’ are killing him, so he wears his runners to watch the footie and get his steps in”.
A third said the look was “like wearing shoes in the pool.”
During the FIFA boss’s visit to Canberra, he led a ‘Matildas’ chant before recalling then-IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch calling the Sydney Games “the greatest Olympics ever”.
“You are a country with a rich history and a country that has staged the best Women’s World Cup ever, and I hope you are proud of that,” Infantino said as he unveiled the winner’s trophy with Albanese.
“This is going to be the number one sport in Australia, as it is all over the world.
“To see the heart of all of them beating for football, the World Cup and the Matildas, it’s fantastic.”