Gianni Infantino ignores FIFA vice-president’s call to skip youth tournament amid fallout from World Cup commercial plan

Concacaf president and FIFA vice-president Victor Montagliani reportedly wrote to Infantino asking him to reconsider attending the Caribbean Football Union’s Under-14 Series in the Dominican Republic.

Montagliani warned that Infantino’s presence could overshadow the tournament, with international media attention likely to focus on the controversy surrounding the FIFA president rather than the youth development programme.

“The media will focus on this situation,” Montagliani reportedly wrote, arguing that it could distract from the technical purpose of the competition. He consequently asked Infantino to reconsider his attendance in the interest of football.

The request came after Concacaf, along with UEFA and the Asian Football Confederation, had accused Infantino of damaging trust within football’s governing structures over proposals to commercialise parts of the World Cup.

Infantino nevertheless travelled to the Dominican Republic for the tournament, which is supported through FIFA’s Forward development programme. His decision to attend is understood to have caused frustration among Concacaf members.

During the event, a Sky News reporter confronted Infantino and asked whether he had betrayed football and why he would not resign.

Infantino responded with a joke about the reporter’s appearance, saying: “You have a nice haircut, thank you so much. See you at the hairdressers,” before walking away.

World Cup commercialisation plan sparks controversy

The dispute centres on plans reported in July that Infantino had explored selling minority stakes in commercial rights connected to the World Cup to private investors.

The proposed restructuring reportedly involved the creation of a new company that could have been valued at around £15 billion. There were also reports that Infantino could eventually take a senior role in the organisation after his current FIFA presidency ends in 2031.

According to reports, the potential position could have been extremely lucrative, with estimates suggesting annual earnings of more than $50 million.

The proposal had reportedly been discussed with senior FIFA officials and potential investors, with non-disclosure agreements signed during the exploratory process. JPMorgan was said to have been involved in the discussions, while officials linked to the administration of US President Donald Trump were also reportedly consulted.

The plans triggered strong opposition from within the football community, with several major confederations raising concerns over the way the proposal had been handled.

Infantino abandons controversial proposal

Earlier this month, Infantino called senior FIFA executives to crisis talks in Morocco, where he subsequently received what was described as the “full support” of FIFA’s leadership.

Despite that backing, the World Cup commercialisation proposals were ultimately abandoned following widespread resistance, including opposition from within FIFA itself.

The controversy deepened this week when Kevin Lamour, FIFA’s chief operating officer, was dismissed after publicly breaking ranks and criticising the proposed World Cup sell-off.

Infantino now faces continued scrutiny over his leadership as FIFA attempts to move beyond the controversy surrounding the abandoned plan.