Gianni Infantino disregarded a request from one of his FIFA vice presidents to refrain from attending an Under-14 soccer event in the Caribbean. Instead, he made a rare public appearance during the global controversy surrounding his failed attempt to sell future World Cup profits to private investors.

Over the weekend, Infantino shared photos on his Instagram account depicting his meeting with political and soccer officials from the Dominican Republic at a Caribbean Football Union (CFU) youth tournament in the Punta Cana resort. The request for Infantino to stay away had come from Victor Montagliani, the Canadian president of CONCACAF, who expressed concerns that Infantino’s presence could draw attention away from the soccer matches due to the governance crisis surrounding FIFA.

Montagliani, in an email seen by The Associated Press, highlighted the potential media focus on the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal controversy, urging Infantino to reconsider his attendance to prevent overshadowing the technical aspects of the CFU youth competition.

Although FIFA did not comment on Montagliani’s request, it was noted that FIFA directly funds regional bodies like the CFU with significant financial support. Montagliani, along with other FIFA vice presidents, including Aleksander Ceferin and Sheik Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, has been pushing to end Infantino’s presidency, accusing him of deceptive planning to involve private investors in FIFA’s commercial activities.

Infantino abandoned the controversial project on August 1 following widespread backlash from soccer leaders and fans. The FIFA leader has refrained from taking public questions since the project’s revelation in July and evaded inquiries from a reporter during his recent appearance in Punta Cana.

Infantino is eyeing re-election for a final term extending to 2031 at the upcoming FIFA election congress in Morocco. The deadline for potential candidates to enter the race is set for November 18. Infantino’s bid for reelection faces challenges amid the fallout from the failed World Cup profit-selling plan and calls for his resignation from various quarters within the soccer community.