Concacaf leader asks Gianni Infantino to stay away from Caribbean youth tournament

Concacaf request to stay away

Victor Montagliani, the president of the North American confederation Concacaf and a vice president of the FIFA Council, sent a formal letter asking FIFA president Gianni Infantino to avoid an under-14 youth tournament taking place this weekend in the Dominican Republic. The Canadian administrator warned that the arrival of the world governing body's leader would turn media attention away from youth development and toward internal disputes. In his correspondence, Montagliani noted that the institutional crisis surrounding the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise project would overshadow the competition and compromise its integrity. Montagliani is considered within football circles as a prospective candidate to succeed the 56-year-old Swiss official at the head of the organization.

Therefore, in the name of football, I politely ask you to reconsider your participation, as it will unfortunately undermine the sporting character of this important youth development measure.

Infantino arrives in the Caribbean

Infantino disregarded the request and arrived in the Dominican Republic on Friday. The FIFA president held official meetings with Kelvin Cruz, the Dominican Minister of Sports and Recreation, along with Jose Deschamps, the president of the Dominican Football Federation. Infantino also met with several regional political figures during his stay in the Caribbean nation. Following these gatherings, Infantino posted videos and photographs to his personal Instagram account, showcasing continuous greetings, handshakes, and hugs with local dignitaries and sports officials. The published clips briefly displayed the official logo of the regional under-14 tournament, though source reports indicated that it remained unconfirmed whether Infantino would attend the youth matches in person.

I am delighted to be here in the Dominican Republic to discuss how we can continue our fruitful partnership to further strengthen football and provide more opportunities for young people in the country and across the region through sport and our beautiful game.

Roots of the World Cup investment dispute

The Caribbean incident stems from the administrative crisis of Infantino's presidency, which began with his contentious plan to integrate outside private investors into future World Cup business ventures. Under the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative, parts of the commercial operations of the World Cup were intended to be sold to private investment groups. A central role in the transaction was structured for technology investor Joshua Kushner through his investment firm Thrive. Joshua Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of United States President Donald Trump through his marriage to Ivanka Trump. Infantino subsequently withdrew the commercial proposal after encountering widespread outrage across the international football community.

Opposition from confederations and election outlook

The withdrawal of the investment initiative has not resolved internal divisions within world football governance. The European confederation, UEFA, adopted a confrontational stance against Infantino's administration and announced intentions to block his potential re-election. European officials raised the prospect of member associations boycotting future FIFA tournaments in protest against the commercial proposals. Furthermore, Montagliani joined other officials in signing a separate letter demanding that Infantino resign from the FIFA presidency immediately. Although Infantino retains backing from multiple national federations across other continents, the widening resistance creates significant uncertainty regarding his standing ahead of the presidential election scheduled for the FIFA Congress in March 2027.