Gianni Infantino disregarded a request from one of his FIFA vice presidents to refrain from attending an Under-14 soccer event in the Caribbean. Instead, he chose to make a rare public appearance amidst the global controversy surrounding his failed proposal to sell future World Cup profits to private investors. Over the weekend, Infantino shared images on his Instagram account, showcasing his meeting with political and soccer dignitaries from the Dominican Republic during a Caribbean Football Union (CFU) youth tournament held at the Punta Cana resort.
The Canadian president of CONCACAF, Victor Montagliani, had urged Infantino not to attend to prevent drawing attention away from the soccer matches. In an email seen by The Associated Press, Montagliani expressed concerns that the media focus on FIFA’s governance crisis stemming from Infantino’s contentious FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal would detract significantly from the youth competition’s technical aspects.
While FIFA declined to comment on Montagliani’s request, it emphasized its direct financial support to regional bodies like the CFU, providing up to $5 million USD from each World Cup cycle. Montagliani, along with other FIFA vice presidents, including Aleksander Ceferin from UEFA and AFC president Sheik Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, are advocating for the end of Infantino’s presidency, citing alleged deception in his secretive plan to involve investors in FIFA’s commercial activities.
Infantino shelved the controversial project on August 1 following widespread criticism from soccer stakeholders and fans. The Zurich-based COO, Kevin Lamour, who had criticized the proposal and Infantino’s leadership style in a statement to the AP, was dismissed recently. Caribbean federations are viewed as potential allies for Infantino within CONCACAF, while CONMEBOL supports him as a means to increase its involvement in the expanded 2030 World Cup.
Infantino has refrained from addressing the public since the unveiling of the $20 billion FFE project in late July. During his appearance in Punta Cana, he avoided questions from a bald reporter regarding his alleged betrayal of the sport and calls for his resignation. Infantino, who is eyeing re-election for a final term until 2031 at the upcoming FIFA congress in Morocco, faces a November deadline for potential candidates to enter the race.
