Dominican Republic meeting sees Infantino anger Concacaf nations

By Liam Tremblay — 22 August 2026 — 3 min read

Infantino’s Presence at CFU Meeting Causes Stir

Gianni Infantino, the president of Fifa, has reportedly caused significant anger among several Concacaf nations. This discontent arose after he attended a meeting of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) in the Dominican Republic, where he announced Fifa-funded development projects. These projects, involving millions of dollars, had experienced delays for several months.

Sources present at the CFU meeting indicated that many Concacaf members were infuriated by Infantino’s actions. This was particularly notable as Victor Montagliani, the president of Concacaf, had specifically requested Infantino to not attend. Montagliani had communicated this request in a letter to Infantino, asking him “in the name of football to reconsider your attendance.”

Montagliani’s letter, sent on a Friday, highlighted that Infantino’s presence would divert attention from a regional under-14 tournament occurring concurrently with the meeting. Despite this direct appeal, Infantino reportedly arrived at the Punta Cana resort with a substantial Fifa entourage. This group included Mattias Grafström, the secretary general, and Elkhan Mammadov, who serves as the director of member associations and is known as a strong ally.

Concacaf’s Stance and Fifa’s Lobbying Efforts

The position taken by Concacaf mirrors earlier complaints regarding Fifa’s operations. The Jordan FA, led by its president Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, previously accused Infantino of bribery. This accusation stemmed from claims that the Jordan FA had not received prize money from the previous year’s Arab Cup, allegedly due to the country’s failure to endorse the Fifa president.

Infantino’s attendance at the CFU meeting is perceived by some as an attempt to garner election votes from Caribbean countries. This move could potentially create a division within Concacaf, which has aligned with Uefa and the Asian Football Confederation in calling for Infantino’s resignation. This call for resignation followed what has been described as the World Cup sell-off debacle.

Before making financial pledges at the CFU meeting, Infantino’s team reportedly engaged with individual member associations to lobby for their support. Mammadov has been central to these efforts, aiming to maintain support since the emergence of the Fifa Forward Enterprise scandal. His persistent approach has reportedly caused unease in certain circles.

One source noted that the official Fifa party attempted to frame their governance issues as a private disagreement between Infantino and Montagliani. Montagliani, a Canadian businessman, has not publicly commented since the proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise became known. However, he has been mentioned in Europe as a potential candidate to succeed Infantino.

Divisions and Alliances Within Football Governance

Despite the broader Concacaf stance, some nations have publicly supported Infantino. Mexico, Grenada, and St Kitts and Nevis have reportedly broken ranks with Concacaf to declare their backing for the Fifa president. However, the majority of Concacaf’s 41 members are understood to support the alliance with Uefa, as advocated by Montagliani.

The alliance between Uefa and Concacaf extends beyond efforts to unseat Infantino. The two confederations are reportedly in discussions about establishing a joint Nations League in 2028. This initiative could potentially evolve into a new global competition in the future.

Infantino’s proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), which involved selling stakes in the World Cup and other competitions to private investors, has been a source of significant criticism and has since been scrapped. Several football associations have withdrawn their support for the Swiss-Italian administrator. An open letter from Uefa, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation accused him of breaking trust “through deception.”

The dismissal of senior executive Kevin Lamour by Fifa, following his criticism of Infantino, has also drawn criticism. Despite these challenges, Infantino maintains the support of Conmebol, the South American governing body, and Caf, the African governing body. Kelvin Cruz, the Dominican Republic’s minister of sports and recreation, expressed appreciation for Infantino’s visit, stating it would place the country on the international football radar and open prospects for growth.

The tournament in the Dominican Republic is part of several development projects funded by Fifa through its Fifa Forward programme.

Source: theguardian.com