Infantino Ignored FIFA VP's Request at Youth Tournament

FIFA president Gianni Infantino defied a request from vice president Victor Montagliani to abstain from attending an Under-14 soccer event in the Caribbean, making a rare public appearance amid increasing criticism over his attempts to sell future World Cup profits to private investors. Infantino attended the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) tournament held in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, where he met various local political and soccer officials.

Montagliani, the Canadian president of CONCACAF, expressed concern in an email urging Infantino not to attend, citing potential media distractions due to the ongoing governance issues surrounding FIFA and Infantino's controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal. Montagliani requested, "I respectfully ask you in the name of football to reconsider your attendance as it will unfortunately undermine the technical nature of this important youth development activity."

FIFA did not comment directly on Montagliani’s request, but noted that it funds regional bodies like the CFU, allocating up to $5 million from each four-year World Cup cycle. Montagliani has joined forces with fellow vice presidents including UEFA's Aleksander Ceferin and AFC's Sheik Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, in an effort to curb Infantino’s extensive presidential power, which has been in place for over 11 years.

The mounting pressure on Infantino escalated when he was accused of "deception" regarding plans to transfer FIFA’s commercial assets to a subsidiary entity partially owned by private investors. Following a major backlash, he withdrew the proposal on August 1, shortly after criticism from his own chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, who was subsequently fired for his remarks.

The Caribbean federations are perceived as potential allies for Infantino against CONCACAF leadership, while South America’s CONMEBOL openly supports him as the preferred choice for more games in the proposed expanded 2030 World Cup. Infantino hasn’t addressed questions publicly since the project’s details surfaced on July 28. During the event in Punta Cana, he avoided answering a query from Sky News about whether he had betrayed the sport and should resign, instead responding lightheartedly.

Infantino is preparing for re-election for a fourth and final term in March 2027 during the FIFA election congress in Rabat, Morocco, with a candidate entry deadline set for November 18.