Gianni Infantino disregarded a request from a FIFA vice president to avoid attending an Under-14 soccer event in the Caribbean and instead made a public appearance during the global uproar over his failed proposal to sell future World Cup profits to private investors. On Instagram, Infantino shared photos of his meeting with political and soccer officials from the Dominican Republic at a Caribbean Football Union (CFU) youth tournament in the Punta Cana resort.
Victor Montagliani, the president of CONCACAF, had advised Infantino not to attend to prevent distraction from the soccer games due to the governance crisis caused by the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal. Montagliani expressed concerns that media attention on Infantino’s presence would overshadow the technical aspects of the CFU youth competition. FIFA declined to comment on Montagliani’s request but highlighted its financial support to regional bodies like CFU.
Montagliani, along with other FIFA vice presidents, has called for Infantino’s resignation, accusing him of deception in planning to transfer FIFA’s commercial activities to external investors, a plan that was withdrawn following widespread criticism. Infantino has not publicly addressed questions about the failed project since its revelation and avoided a reporter from Sky News during the event in Punta Cana. Despite the backlash, Infantino aims to secure re-election for a final term until 2031 at the upcoming FIFA election congress in Morocco. The deadline for potential candidates to enter the race is set for November 18.