October 9, 2026
The President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), Gianni Infantino, received strong support for his efforts to retain his position, following the decision of Canadian Victor Montagliani, President of the Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean (Concacaf), to run for a new term at the head of the continental federation, which blocks the way for him to enter the race for the presidency of FIFA.
ESPN sources reported that Montagliani informed officials of the CONCACAF federation – which he has headed since 2016 – of his intention to continue leading the regional federation, despite his name being circulated recently as the most prominent potential candidate to compete with Infantino in the presidential elections scheduled to be held in March 2027.
This shift in the map of alliances comes after the controversy sparked by Infantino’s proposal to establish an independent commercial entity to manage the commercial rights of FIFA competitions with the participation of private sector investors. This proposal faced severe criticism and widespread objections before the International Federation later retracted it.
Montagliani was at the forefront of officials objecting to the aforementioned proposal, along with the President of the European Football Association (UEFA), Aleksander Ceferin, and the President of the Asian Football Confederation, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, as everyone called for a review of the governance and decision-making mechanisms within the corridors of FIFA.
With Montagliani deciding to remain at the helm of CONCACAF, his chances of competing with Infantino for the international presidency have diminished significantly, which puts the opposition front to the current president facing the challenge of searching for an alternative candidate capable of running in the upcoming elections.
In a related context, this development coincides with Aleksander Ceferin’s announcement of his intention to run for a new term as head of the European Union, retracting previous statements in which he hinted that he would not seek to continue in his European position.
