Infantino defies FIFA vice president by going to youth event in Caribbean amid global soccer rift
Montagliani said Infantino’s presence could distract from the youth competition as FIFA leaders face renewed scrutiny over the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan.
- On Friday, President Gianni Infantino attended a Caribbean Football Union event in the Dominican Republic despite a written request from Concacaf President Victor Montagliani to skip the gathering.
- Montagliani cautioned in an emailed letter seen by The Associated Press that the governance crisis surrounding the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal would distract from the youth tournament's technical focus.
- Instagram posts show both leaders present at Punta Cana, while Infantino deflected questions from a Sky reporter about leadership controversies and calls for his resignation with a joke.
- The Caribbean Football Union, comprising 31 nations with 25 FIFA members, serves as a critical voting bloc for the March 2027 presidential election, making Infantino's appearance strategically significant.
- Similar leadership friction may emerge at the upcoming U-20 Women's World Cup in Poland, as UEFA and other confederations continue demanding a re-evaluation of FIFA leadership following the failed investment plan.
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The head of CONCAF urged Infantino not to come to the youth tournament due to the crisis in FIFAVictor Montagliani said that the visit of Infantino would divert attention from the tournament due to the crisis in FIFA. In spite of this, the FIFA president arrived in Dominican Republic.
Gianni Infantino FIFA row deepens after Caribbean youth tournament appearance
Gianni Infantino attended a Caribbean youth tournament despite Victor Montagliani asking him to stay away. The visit has sharpened a wider FIFA governance dispute over the shelved investor plan and his leadership.
Even one of his vice presidents asked Gianni Infantino not to come "in the name of football", but despite this announcement, the Fifa boss flew to a U14 event in the Dominican Republic – and posted demonstrative cuddly photos.
The president of the Dominican Football Federation, José Francisco Deschamps, assured the AFP that Infantino "publicly apologized".
The controversial Fifa presidents attended and U14 gymnastics in Karibia – with many visepresidents formaning.
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