CONCACAF president urges Gianni Infantino to reconsider youth tournament appearance

CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani has asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to reconsider attending a Caribbean Under-14 football tournament in the Dominican Republic, warning that his presence could weaken the event as pressure grows over the crisis surrounding FIFA’s administration.

The request was made in a letter from Montagliani, who is also a FIFA vice-president, according to The Telegraph on Saturday. Infantino had been invited to attend the Caribbean Football Union Under-14 tournament, but Montagliani told him that the ongoing governance controversy linked to FIFA would overshadow the young players and the sporting purpose of the competition.

“I respectfully ask you, on behalf of football, to reconsider your attendance, as it will weaken this event,” Montagliani wrote.

He also said the governance crisis caused by Infantino’s abandoned proposal would “unfortunately take significantly away from the technical nature of the competition”.

Infantino arrived in the Dominican Republic on Friday. However, he did not comment publicly on his future or on the wider turmoil facing FIFA. His visit comes after a controversial attempt to sell a stake in the World Cup to private-sector investors was cancelled following widespread anger.

The FIFA president had initially received an invitation to attend the youth tournament. Officials became aware of the plan before the visit after learning more about the proposal, which was later withdrawn. The attempt prompted strong criticism and led to calls for Infantino to resign from his position at FIFA.

The intervention from Montagliani is particularly significant because CONCACAF joined UEFA and the Asian Football Confederation in signing a joint letter to Infantino two weeks ago. That letter called on him to step down as FIFA president.

The latest exchange underlines the extent to which the dispute has spread beyond FIFA’s central administration and into its regional confederations. Montagliani’s role as both CONCACAF president and a FIFA vice-president places him among the senior figures involved in the organisation’s leadership, while the joint letter showed that concerns were shared across football’s governing structures in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, Europe and Asia.

The Under-14 tournament is being staged in the Dominican Republic this week and is intended to provide a platform for young players. Montagliani’s message suggests that the controversy surrounding FIFA has become difficult to separate from even a youth competition, with officials concerned that the dispute could dominate attention away from the football itself.

Infantino has so far remained silent on questions about his position and the consequences of the cancelled investment plan. His arrival in the Dominican Republic, followed by Montagliani’s appeal, has now placed the dispute at the centre of attention surrounding the Caribbean tournament.