Gianni Infantino ignored a plea from one of his FIFA vice presidents to stay away from an Under-14 soccer event in the Caribbean and instead appeared in public during the global controversy over his failed attempt to privatize future World Cup earnings. The FIFA president shared images on his Instagram account on Saturday, showcasing his interactions with political and soccer figures from the Dominican Republic at a Caribbean Football Union (CFU) youth tournament held at the Punta Cana resort.
Before his attendance at the event, Victor Montagliani, the Canadian president of CONCACAF, advised Infantino not to attend to prevent drawing attention away from the soccer matches. Montagliani expressed concerns in an email, stating that the media focus on the FIFA governance crisis due to Infantino’s contentious FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal could overshadow the CFU youth competition’s technical aspects. He urged Infantino to reconsider his presence to preserve the integrity of the youth development event.
FIFA chose not to respond to Montagliani’s request but highlighted its financial support for regional bodies like the CFU, providing up to $5 million US in each four-year World Cup cycle. Montagliani, along with other FIFA vice presidents, including Aleksander Ceferin and Sheik Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, has called for the end of Infantino’s presidency, accusing him of deceptive practices related to a plan to transfer FIFA’s lucrative commercial activities to external investors.
Infantino shelved the controversial project on August 1 following widespread condemnation from the soccer community, including his own chief operating officer who criticized the proposal and his leadership style before being dismissed. The FIFA president’s interactions with Caribbean federations are viewed as a tactic to garner support amidst growing opposition within CONCACAF. Meanwhile, CONMEBOL has endorsed Infantino to facilitate its ambition of expanding the 2030 World Cup to accommodate 64 teams.
Infantino has avoided public questioning since the revelation of the $20 billion FFE initiative, declining to engage with media inquiries regarding his actions. His bid for re-election, extending his tenure until 2031, will be decided at the FIFA election congress in Rabat, Morocco, next March. Prospective candidates have until November 18 to enter the electoral race.