Gianni Infantino went against the advice of one of his FIFA vice presidents to steer clear of an Under-14 soccer event in the Caribbean. Instead, he opted to appear in public during the ongoing controversy surrounding his failed attempt to sell future World Cup profits to private investors.
Over the weekend, Infantino shared photos on his Instagram account showing him meeting with political and soccer figures from the Dominican Republic at a Caribbean Football Union (CFU) youth tournament in the Punta Cana resort. The Canadian president of CONCACAF, Victor Montagliani, had urged Infantino not to attend to prevent drawing attention away from the soccer matches.
Montagliani expressed concerns about the media focusing on the governance crisis at FIFA due to Infantino’s controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal. FIFA did not provide a comment on Montagliani’s request but highlighted its financial support for regional bodies like the CFU.
The FIFA president faced accusations from several FIFA vice presidents, including Aleksander Ceferin and Sheik Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, for his alleged deception in planning to transfer FIFA’s commercial activities to outside investors without transparency. Infantino eventually shelved the project following widespread backlash from the soccer community.
Infantino has been avoiding public inquiries since the project’s revelation, with his recent encounter with a reporter from Sky News where he dodged questions about his leadership and the proposed project. Despite the criticism, Infantino is vying for re-election for a final term until 2031 at the upcoming FIFA election congress in Morocco.
Caribbean federations are viewed as potential allies for Infantino to sway away from the CONCACAF leadership, while CONMEBOL has expressed support for him to secure more hosting opportunities for the expanded 2030 World Cup.
The FIFA election deadline for potential candidates to join the race is set for November 18. Infantino is determined to secure his position for another term, despite the challenges he currently faces.