Concacaf president Victor Montagliani requested that FIFA leader Gianni Infantino not attend a youth tournament in the Dominican Republic, fearing his presence would distract from the competition due to the governing body’s crisis.
FIFA, the world football governing body, is going through a period of intense turbulence. Amidst this, as described by top officials:
governance crisis
Concacaf president Victor Montagliani made a direct request to FIFA president Gianni Infantino: that he reconsider his presence at a youth football tournament in the Dominican Republic.
The concern is that media attention, focused on the political issues surrounding Infantino’s management, would overshadow the prestige and importance of the youth competition.
Montagliani’s request reflects growing global dissatisfaction with Infantino’s administration. Recent controversy involving a proposal to sell World Cup commercial rights to private investors, although eventually abandoned, has strained relations with major confederations, which are now pushing for the Swiss official’s exit.
Pressure from confederations and abandoned proposal
The opposition to Gianni Infantino is not isolated. Three of the major football confederations – UEFA (Europe), the AFC (Asia), and Concacaf (North America, Central America, and the Caribbean) – have publicly voiced their dissatisfaction with the FIFA president’s management.
This movement gained momentum after the controversial proposal to cede a portion of the World Cup’s commercial rights to the private sector, an idea that met with strong resistance and was ultimately scrapped. The pressure suggests that Infantino could soon face a vote of no confidence.
Relevant letter from Concacaf
In a letter dated Friday, June 21, and reported by Reuters, Victor Montagliani, who also serves as a FIFA Council vice-president, outlined his concerns.
The official highlighted that Infantino’s presence at the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) event for under-14 players, known as the CFU U-14 Series, would inevitably draw the press to FIFA’s internal issues.
The media will focus on this situation, which would unfortunately significantly detract from the technical nature of the CFU youth competition.
For this reason, Montagliani appealed for Infantino to consider the impact of his visit, prioritizing the development of young athletes.
Respectfully, I ask, on behalf of football, that you reconsider your participation, as it would unfortunately harm the technical nature of this important youth development activity.
Reception in Punta Cana despite the request
Despite Montagliani’s clear request, Gianni Infantino chose to keep his schedule in the Dominican Republic. The FIFA president was warmly welcomed in Punta Cana by the country’s Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kelvin Cruz. Cruz emphasized the importance of the visit to the local football landscape.
We deeply value your visit to the Dominican Republic. Without a doubt, your presence in our country puts Dominican football on the international radar and opens up great prospects for growth and development.
Infantino also held meetings with José Deschamps, president of the Dominican Football Federation, Benny Metz, national football commissioner, and Garibaldy Bautista Lorenzo, president of the Olympic Committee.
Gianni Infantino’s persistence in carrying out his commitments, even in the face of a direct request from one of his vice-presidents and amidst a crisis of confidence, signals the challenge he faces in his bid for a fourth term, which would extend until 2031.
With major national associations and officials withdrawing their support for his re-election, the future of FIFA’s leadership remains uncertain and complex, with political tension overshadowing even grassroots events crucial for the development of the sport.
