Infantino Attends Under-14 Event Amid Controversy

Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, attended an Under-14 soccer event in the Caribbean, despite advice against doing so. This recommendation came from Victor Montagliani, one of his vice presidents, due to tensions surrounding Infantino’s previous plan to sell future World Cup profits to private investors.

Infantino shared images on Instagram, showing his engagement with political and soccer officials in the Dominican Republic at a Caribbean Football Union (CFU) youth tournament held in Punta Cana.

On Friday, Montagliani, also the president of CONCACAF, urged Infantino through an email to avoid the event to prevent diverting focus from the games. He highlighted the ongoing governance crisis at FIFA, triggered by Infantino’s controversial proposal named FIFA Forward Enterprise.

Montagliani expressed concerns that Infantino’s presence would diminish the focus on the youth competition’s technical nature. FIFA chose not to comment on Montagliani’s appeal but acknowledged its financial contributions to regional entities like the CFU.

Infantino’s leadership has faced opposition from Montagliani and other FIFA vice presidents, such as Aleksander Ceferin from UEFA and Sheik Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of the Asian Football Confederation. They criticized Infantino for allegedly planning to separate FIFA’s commercial operations to a subsidiary partially owned by investors, including Joshua Kushner.

Following negative feedback from global soccer figures and supporters, Infantino retracted the project on August 1. This came shortly after a public critique from FIFA’s COO, Kevin Lamour, who was dismissed from his position this week.

Infantino views Caribbean federation members as potential supporters, despite CONCACAF leadership backing his efforts. Notably, the South American body, CONMEBOL, supports Infantino, believing he provides the best chance for securing additional matches at the 2030 World Cup, which they want to expand from 48 to 64 teams.

Infantino avoided public inquiries about the $20 billion project since its revelation on July 28. In Punta Cana, he sidestepped questions from a Sky News reporter about betraying the sport and potential resignation, responding instead with a light remark addressing their shared baldness.

Infantino aims for a fourth and final presidential term up to 2031, with an election set for next March in Rabat, Morocco. The deadline for aspiring candidates to enter the race is November 18.