Concacaf President Victor Montagliani has urged FIFA president Gianni Infantino to stay away from a youth football event in the Dominican Republic this weekend, warning that his presence would draw attention away from the young players it is meant to celebrate.
The request comes amid a growing revolt against Infantino's leadership, with three of football's major confederations—UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and Concacaf, which oversees North and Central America along with the Caribbean—now pushing for him to step down. The unrest follows a controversial and ultimately shelved plan by Infantino to sell a stake in the FIFA World Cup, a move that has fueled talk of a possible no-confidence vote against him from some of the sport's most influential regional bodies.
Despite the turmoil, Infantino traveled to the Dominican Republic this weekend, where he had reportedly intended to appear at the Caribbean Football Union's U-14 Series, a youth development tournament. In a letter sent Friday and obtained by Reuters, Montagliani—who also serves as a FIFA Council vice-president—asked Infantino to reconsider attending, pointing to what he described as an ongoing "governance crisis surrounding FIFA."
"As you may be aware, your proposed attendance has garnered significant media attention," Montagliani wrote, adding that reporters would inevitably focus on the controversy engulfing Infantino rather than the tournament itself. "The media will focus on this situation, which will unfortunately significantly take away from the technical nature of the CFU youth competition," he continued. "As such, I respectfully ask you in the name of football to reconsider your attendance as it will unfortunately undermine the technical nature of this important youth development activity."
FIFA has not yet responded publicly to Reuters' request for comment on the letter.
Even as pressure mounts internationally, Infantino received a warmer reception from local officials upon arriving in Punta Cana. He was greeted by the Dominican Republic's Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kelvin Cruz, who praised the visit as a boost for the country's football ambitions. "We deeply appreciate your visit to the Dominican Republic, without doubt that your presence in our country puts us on the international football radar and opens us great prospects for growth and development of Dominican football," Cruz said in a statement.
Infantino was also welcomed by other prominent figures in Dominican sport, including Dominican Football Federation president Jose Deschamps, National Commissioner of Football Benny Metz, and Dominican Olympic Committee President Garibaldy Bautista Lorenzo. The warm local reception stands in stark contrast to the skepticism Infantino faces from some of the game's governing bodies abroad.
The controversy comes at a particularly sensitive time for Infantino, who is seeking re-election to a fourth term that would extend his tenure at the helm of world football's governing body until 2031. However, his path to another term looks increasingly uncertain, as several national football associations and senior officials have reportedly withdrawn their backing amid the fallout from his World Cup stake-sale proposal.
Whether Infantino ultimately heeds Montagliani's request remains to be seen, but the episode underscores the depth of discontent within FIFA's upper ranks—a rift that could shape the organization's leadership for years to come.
Based on reporting from Independent and Reuters.