Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, disregarded a request from one of his FIFA vice presidents to refrain from attending an Under-14 soccer event in the Caribbean. Instead, he made an unusual public appearance during the intense global controversy surrounding his unsuccessful proposal to sell future World Cup profits to private investors.
Infantino shared photos on his Instagram account on Saturday, depicting his meetings with political and soccer officials from the Dominican Republic at a Caribbean Football Union (CFU) youth tournament in the Punta Cana resort.
Prior to his attendance, Victor Montagliani, the president of CONCACAF, had urged Infantino not to attend to prevent causing a distraction from the soccer matches. In an email seen by The Associated Press, Montagliani expressed concerns that the media attention on Infantino’s FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal could overshadow the technical aspects of the CFU youth competition.
FIFA chose not to comment on Montagliani’s request but highlighted its financial support to regional bodies like the CFU with up to $5 million US per World Cup cycle. Montagliani, along with other FIFA vice presidents, has joined forces to challenge Infantino’s presidency, accusing him of deceptive actions in planning to transfer FIFA’s commercial operations to external investors.
Infantino withdrew the controversial project on August 1 following widespread criticism from soccer leaders and fans. His decision came shortly after his chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, criticized the proposal and Infantino’s leadership style in a statement to the AP, leading to Lamour’s dismissal.
Infantino, who has not faced public questioning since the project’s revelation, aims for re-election in 2031 during the FIFA election congress in Rabat, Morocco. The deadline for potential candidates to enter the race is set for November 18.
