FIFA president Gianni Infantino traveled to the Dominican Republic for a Caribbean youth tournament despite a request from FIFA vice-president Victor Montagliani to stay away.
Montagliani, who serves as president of Concacaf, asked Infantino to reconsider attending the Caribbean Football Union's Under-14 Series event. The request came as Infantino faces continued criticism over a now-scrapped plan to sell stakes in the FIFA World Cup.
In a letter to the FIFA chief, Montagliani warned that media attention surrounding the controversy would distract from the youth competition. "The media will focus on this situation, which will unfortunately significantly take away from the technical nature of the CFU youth competition," Montagliani wrote.
Montagliani added: "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."
Concacaf Opposition and Dominican Republic Arrival
Concacaf had previously joined European governing body UEFA and the Asian Football Confederation in accusing Infantino of breaking trust "through deception" regarding the World Cup proposal.
Despite the plea from Montagliani, Infantino arrived in the Dominican Republic for the competition, which receives funding through the FIFA Forward programme. The FIFA Forward initiative provides financial support for football development projects across member associations worldwide. Infantino's presence at the event is believed to have angered member nations within Concacaf.
During his appearance at the tournament, Infantino was confronted by a Sky reporter who asked if he had betrayed football and why he would not resign. Infantino brushed off the questions about his future with a series of jokes directed at the reporter, who is bald.
"You have a nice haircut, thank you so much. See you at the hairdressers," Infantino told the reporter.
The World Cup Investment Plan
The backlash stems from news that broke in July revealing Infantino was considering a plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. The proposal involved creating a new company in a deal estimated to be worth around £15billion.
A report by The Times added that Infantino could potentially become commissioner of the new commercial entity after his tenure as FIFA president ends in 2031. Estimates suggested the highly lucrative position could pay him more than $50million a year.
The blueprint for selling stakes had been discussed among senior FIFA officials and prospective investors. Those involved, who signed non-disclosure agreements, reportedly included Joshua Kushner, the brother of Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Investment bank JPMorgan was reportedly handling the transaction process, and the administration of former US President Donald Trump was understood to have been consulted on the matter.
Morocco Crisis Talks and Executive Sacking
Earlier this month, Infantino summoned senior executives to crisis talks in Morocco, where he was granted the "full support" of FIFA's top governing body.
The Swiss football administrator has since abandoned the commercial proposals following widespread opposition, which included an internal rebellion within FIFA's leadership ranks.
The fallout from the controversial plan has already led to high-level dismissals. Earlier this week, Kevin Lamour, the FIFA chief operating officer who broke ranks to publicly criticise Infantino over the World Cup sell-off scheme, was sacked from his position.
