Concacaf chief asks Infantino to skip Dominican Republic youth series
Victor Montagliani argues that media scrutiny of the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal would overshadow the technical aspects of the CFU Under-14 Series.
Concacaf president Victor Montagliani has formally requested FIFA president Gianni Infantino to reconsider his attendance at the CFU Under-14 Series in the Dominican Republic. In a letter seen by the BBC, Montagliani cited a "governance crisis" surrounding the global governing body, suggesting that the current political climate is complicating what should be a purely technical event.
Montagliani, who also serves as a FIFA vice-president, argued that the presence of the FIFA chief would "unfortunately undermine the technical nature" of the competition. He noted that media attention would inevitably focus on Infantino’s leadership rather than the youth development activities, stating that he respectfully asked the president to reconsider in the name of football.
The invitation for Infantino to attend the tournament is believed to have been issued prior to the controversy surrounding the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal. The FFE aimed to sell stakes in the World Cup and other competitions to private investors but has since been scrapped, leaving Infantino’s position under threat.
The move comes as several football associations, including UEFA, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation, have withdrawn their support for Infantino. These bodies accused the Swiss-Italian administrator of breaking trust "through deception" in an open letter. The dismissal of senior executive Kevin Lamour, who had previously criticised Infantino, has further fuelled criticism of FIFA’s internal governance.
Despite the growing dissent, Infantino retains the support of South American governing body Conmebol and the African governing body CAF. Additionally, the Dominican Republic has expressed strong appreciation for his visit. Sports and recreation minister Kelvin Cruz stated that Infantino’s presence puts the country on the international football radar and opens prospects for the growth of Dominican football.
The CFU Under-14 Series is one of several development projects funded by FIFA through its FIFA Forward programme. While Infantino was well received upon his arrival in the Caribbean country, the decision on whether he will proceed with his attendance remains pending.
