Gianni Infantino disregarded a request from one of his FIFA vice presidents to avoid attending an Under-14 soccer tournament in the Caribbean. Instead, he made a rare public appearance during the global controversy surrounding his failed proposal to sell future World Cup profits to private investors. Infantino shared images on his Instagram account on Saturday, showcasing his meeting with political and soccer dignitaries from the Dominican Republic at a Caribbean Football Union (CFU) youth event in the Punta Cana resort.
The Canadian president of CONCACAF, Victor Montagliani, had urged Infantino not to attend to prevent diverting attention from the soccer matches. Montagliani expressed concerns in an email, suggesting that the media’s focus on the FIFA governance crisis due to the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise plan would overshadow the technical aspects of the CFU youth competition.
FIFA did not provide a comment on Montagliani’s request but highlighted its financial support for regional bodies like the CFU. Montagliani, along with other FIFA vice presidents, including Aleksander Ceferin and Sheik Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, has called for an end to Infantino’s presidency, citing concerns of deception related to the proposal to involve private investors in FIFA’s commercial activities.
Infantino withdrew the proposed project on August 1 following widespread criticism from soccer officials and fans globally. The FIFA president has refrained from addressing the public since the project’s disclosure and avoided questions from a Sky News reporter during the event in Punta Cana.
Infantino is seeking re-election for a final term through 2031 at the upcoming FIFA election congress in Morocco next March. The deadline for potential candidates to enter the race has been set for November 18.