Gianni Infantino disregarded a request from a FIFA vice president to abstain from attending an Under-14 soccer event in the Caribbean. Instead, he made a rare public appearance amidst the global controversy surrounding his failed initiative to sell future World Cup profits to private investors.
Over the weekend, Infantino shared photos on his Instagram account depicting his meeting with political and soccer dignitaries from the Dominican Republic at a Caribbean Football Union (CFU) youth tournament in the Punta Cana resort. The Canadian president of CONCACAF, Victor Montagliani, had advised Infantino not to attend to prevent diverting attention from the soccer matches.
Montagliani expressed concerns in an email seen by The Associated Press, stating that the media would likely focus on the governance crisis within FIFA due to Infantino’s contentious FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, potentially overshadowing the CFU youth competition’s technical aspects. He respectfully urged Infantino to reconsider his attendance to preserve the integrity of the youth development event.
FIFA refrained from commenting on Montagliani’s request but highlighted its substantial financial support to regional bodies like the CFU. Meanwhile, Montagliani, along with other FIFA vice presidents, has aligned to challenge Infantino’s presidency, accusing him of deception for planning to transfer FIFA’s commercial activities to external investors without transparency.
Infantino abandoned the controversial project on August 1 following widespread backlash, including criticism from his own chief operating officer, who was subsequently dismissed. The FIFA president has evaded public inquiries since the project’s exposure, including dodging questions from a reporter in Punta Cana.
Infantino is vying for re-election for a final term until 2031 at the upcoming FIFA election congress in Morocco. Potential supporters within Caribbean federations are crucial for his candidacy, while CONMEBOL has endorsed him to facilitate an expanded 2030 World Cup. The deadline for candidates to enter the election race is set for November 18.