FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been requested to remain absent from a youth tournament following a significant escalation of divisions ignited by his attempted sale of shares in the new World Cup venture, Sky News has reported. This action follows a letter delivered on Friday by the region’s football leadership, stating that his presence at the event in the Dominican Republic this weekend would ‘undermine’ the children’s matches. The embattled football leader flew into the Caribbean island, where he engaged in light-hearted questions with Sky News on the crisis engulfing FIFA, remaining largely silent on his future.
The situation stems from a recent leak of secret plans to sell shares in a new World Cup venture to private investors, which ignited anger within the CONCACAF region, a significant portion of which includes North and South America. According to a report by CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani, written on Friday, the ‘governance crisis’ caused by this scheme ‘will unfortunately significantly take away from the technical nature of the CFU youth competition.’ Mr. Montagliani further stated that Mr. Infantino respectfully asks in the name of football to reconsider his attendance, as it will ‘undermine the technical nature of this important youth development activity.’
FIFA was asked for comment. Video posted on social media showed local officials praising Mr. Infantino’s arrival to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, in an apparent gesture of welcome. FIFA provides millions of dollars in development funding for the country, with the cash largely raised by the World Cup. The CONCACAF two weeks ago signed a joint letter with the European and Asian football confederations, advocating for Mr. Infantino to leave power. They proposed that there had been a ‘fundamental breach of trust’ caused by Mr. Infantino’s blind-siding of football officials with the plans to sell 20% of the World Cup to private equity. They added that ‘when trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned.’ Mr. Infantino can point to the support of one CONCACAF country, Mexico, but the other 2026 World Cup co-hosts, Canada and the United States, have criticised his leadership. However, Mr. Infantino did pose for a photo yesterday with the Dominican Republic Football Association president, Jose Deschamps. He also maintains the backing of the South American confederation, CONMEBOL, which is pushing for the World Cup to be expanded to 64 teams to stage more games in the region in 2030. Despite this, when challenged by Sky News on Friday, Mr. Infantino did not address the concerns raised by fan groups this week, as they launched a global push for his resignation. A FIFA presidential election is scheduled for next year, and FAs, including England, Wales, and Scotland, have withdrawn previous endorsements for Mr. Infantino.
The deadline for candidates is November. The situation highlights a deep rift within the football world, with Mr. Infantino facing significant pressure from both sides of the political spectrum.
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Source: Adom Sports
