Infantino defies FIFA vice president by going to youth event in Caribbean amid global soccer rift

Gianni Infantino attended a Caribbean Under-14 soccer tournament in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, defying a request from FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani that he skip the event to avoid distracting from the games. Infantino posted photos on Instagram showing meetings with political and soccer officials on Saturday. Montagliani said FIFA’s governance crisis, tied to Infantino’s controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, would pull media attention away from the CFU youth competition. FIFA declined to comment, but noted it funds regional bodies like the CFU with up to $5 million per four-year World Cup cycle. Montagliani and others seek to end Infantino’s 11-year executive presidency.