CONCACAF asks Infantino to skip youth event amid FIFA governance crisis
Published On 22 Aug 202622 Aug 2026.
Published On 22 Aug 202622 Aug 2026.
Article outline
- What happened
- Official response
- Reaction
- The details
- The bottom line
Key points
- Infantino was additionally welcomed by Dominican Football Federation President Jose Deschamps, National Commissioner of Football Benny Metz and Olympic Committee President Garibaldy Bautista Lorenzo.
- Infantino was received at Punta Cana by the Dominican Republic's Minister of Sports and Recreation Kelvin Cruz.
- Infantino is seeking a fourth term until 2031, but a number of national associations and key office-holders have withdrawn backing for the Swiss administrator.
- Infantino is under pressure from three confederations to resign, including Europe's UEFA, Asia's AFC and CONCACAF.
- "As you may be aware, your proposed attendance has garnered significant media attention, " Montagliani, who is additionally a vice president on the FIFA Council, wrote.
CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani has asked FIFA chief Gianni Infantino to stay away from a youth football tournament in the Dominican Republic this weekend, saying his presence would overshadow the event due to mounting opposition to his leadership.
Infantino is under pressure from three confederations to resign, including Europe's UEFA, Asia's AFC and CONCACAF. It represents North and Central America and the Caribbean, after his aborted proposal to sell a stake in the World Cup.
Infantino, who could potentially face a vote of no confidence from world football's regional powerhouses, is visiting the Dominican Republic this weekend and was reportedly planning to attend a competition organised by the Caribbean Football Union (CFU).
In a letter sent to Infantino on Friday and seen by the Reuters news agency, Montagliani cited the "governance crisis surrounding FIFA" as the reason for the FIFA president to reconsider attending the CFU U-14 Series event.
.the media will focus on this situation. It will unfortunately significantly take away from the technical nature of the CFU youth competition.
"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." Al Jazeera Sport has contacted FIFA for comment.
"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 remarked in an official note.
In short, CONCACAF asks Infantino to skip youth event amid FIFA governance crisis is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.
