Gianni Infantino defied 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 amidst the global controversy surrounding his failed proposal to sell future World Cup profits to private investors.

Over the weekend, Infantino shared images on his Instagram account, showcasing his meeting with political and soccer dignitaries from the Dominican Republic at a Caribbean Football Union (CFU) youth tournament held at the Punta Cana resort.

The day before, Victor Montagliani, the Canadian president of CONCACAF, had advised Infantino against attending to prevent diverting attention from the soccer matches. Montagliani expressed concerns in an email, obtained by The Associated Press, citing the governance crisis within FIFA due to Infantino’s contentious FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.

While FIFA declined to comment on Montagliani’s plea, it emphasized its financial support to regional bodies like the CFU. Montagliani, along with other FIFA vice presidents, including Aleksander Ceferin from UEFA and AFC president Sheik Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, have been vocal in their push to oust Infantino from his prolonged presidency.

Allegations surfaced two weeks ago, accusing Infantino of deceit in clandestinely planning to transfer FIFA’s lucrative commercial activities to an external entity partly owned by investors led by Joshua Kushner. Infantino eventually shelved the project on August 1 following widespread backlash from the soccer community.

Caribbean federations are viewed as potential allies for Infantino to sway away from their CONCACAF ties. Meanwhile, CONMEBOL from South America has thrown its support behind Infantino, viewing him as instrumental in expanding the 2030 World Cup to accommodate 64 teams.

Infantino has refrained from public questioning since the unveiling of the $20 billion FFE plan in late July. During his recent appearance in Punta Cana, he evaded inquiries from a reporter regarding his alleged betrayal of the sport and calls for resignation.

As he aims for re-election for a final term extending to 2031 at the upcoming FIFA congress in Morocco, potential candidates have until November 18 to enter the race.