Infantino asked to stay away from youth tournament

What the report says

Fifa president Gianni Infantino has been asked not to attend a youth football tournament in the Dominican Republic this weekend, in a move that highlights the wider dispute surrounding his leadership of world football. Concacaf president Victor Montagliani, in a letter seen by the BBC, said Infantino’s presence at the CFU Under-14 Series event could distract from its football focus and add to the “governance crisis” at Fifa.

According to the BBC, Montagliani, who is also a Fifa vice-president, argued that the media attention around Infantino would take away from the tournament’s technical and development aims. Infantino had been invited by the Dominican Republic, though the invitation is believed to have been made before criticism escalated over his abandoned Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal, which would have involved selling stakes in major competitions to private investors.

The event is one of several youth and development projects supported through Fifa Forward, Fifa’s funding programme for football development. The BBC reports that Infantino has recently lost backing from some football associations after allegations of broken trust, while other regional bodies, including Conmebol in South America and Caf in Africa, still support him.

The Dominican Republic’s sports minister welcomed Infantino’s visit, saying it could help raise the country’s profile in international football. The episode comes amid wider debate over Fifa’s direction and Infantino’s future, with some confederations publicly opposing him and others backing a fourth term.