A broader governance crisis at FIFA surrounds Gianni Infantino’s Forward Enterprise plan to spin off FIFA’s commercial activities to a private investor group led by Joshua Kushner, a proposal that sparked global backlash and was withdrawn on Aug. 1.

Infantino’s bid for a fourth term amid the crisis has drawn sharp criticism from Montagliani, UEFA chief Ceferin, and AFC president Al Khalifa, who accuse him of deception and seek to limit his influence ahead of the 2031 FIFA election.

Several FIFA vice presidents have joined the call for leadership changes as the governance dispute intensifies.

Unclear whether Infantino will actually attend the U-14 Caribbean tournament as planned.

Infantino is counting on support from Caribbean federations, while CONMEBOL backs him as the best path to expanding the 2030 World Cup from 48 to 64 teams, highlighting regional splits ahead of next year’s election.

CONMEBOL’s backing emphasizes a regional preference for growth of the 2030 World Cup, potentially expanding to 64 teams, with Caribbean allies seen as key for Infantino.

The Caribbean event is viewed as a potential battleground for Infantino to build support among Caribbean federations amid CONMEBOL’s stance.

Infantino posted Instagram photos and videos from meetings with Dominican Republic officials and football figures at the Caribbean youth tournament, signaling his presence and intent to strengthen partnerships.

The posts appeared to contradict a request to stay away from the event and to focus on the sport’s integrity.

Infantino is pursuing a fourth term with the FIFA Congress scheduled for March in Rabat, Morocco, and a candidacy deadline set for mid-November.

A large FIFA entourage accompanied Infantino at the Punta Cana meeting, including secretary general Mattias Grafström and Elkhan Mammadov, who manage relations with FIFA’s 211 member associations.

Concerns were raised by Concacaf leadership that Infantino’s attendance at the U14 event would distract from the tournament’s sporting focus, and he faced calls to skip the appearance.