A storm over FIFA’s finances
When FIFA president Gianni Infantino showed up at an Under‑14 soccer tournament in Punta Cana, he did so against the wishes of the federation’s vice‑president, Victor Montagliani, who had warned that the media would spotlight the governing crisis surrounding Infantino’s plan to monetize future World Cup revenues.
Montagliani’s letter to Infantino underscored the political risk, noting that the proposal had already ignited a global backlash and that the controversy was threatening to dominate headlines.
The proposal that divided football
The scheme, which imagined selling a slice of the tournament’s future profits to private investors, was ultimately abandoned after the outcry, and FIFA’s chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, was dismissed following public criticism of Infantino’s leadership style.
Infantino, however, remains focused on securing a fourth term that would keep him at the helm of world football until 2031, with the election congress scheduled for November 18 in Rabat, Morocco, and candidate registration closing on that date.
Support appears to be coalescing among Caribbean member federations, while South American body CONMEBOL has voiced backing for expanding the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams, a move that could bolster Infantino’s reform agenda.
Critics from UEFA and other confederations, including the Asian Football Confederation and the Caribbean Football Union, have accused the FIFA chief of misleading the sport and of using the controversy to shield himself from accountability.
The episode illustrates how financial engineering at the highest levels of the sport can ripple through regional bodies, shaping alliances and influencing the future shape of global competitions.