Victor Montagliani has informed Concacaf employees that he plans to seek another term as the organisation’s president next year, effectively excluding the possibility of challenging Gianni Infantino for Fifa’s leadership.
The Canadian executive is believed to have communicated his decision to most of Concacaf’s 41 member associations across North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
Montagliani had frequently been mentioned as a possible rival to Infantino in the Fifa presidential election, especially by Uefa associations that believe a European contender would be unlikely to secure enough support among Fifa’s 211 members.
However, during a meeting with Concacaf employees late last month, Montagliani reportedly said that, despite concerns over Fifa’s governance and requests for him to run, he preferred to continue representing the confederation’s regional members.
Concacaf is due to hold its presidential election in the first three months of next year, before the Fifa ballot in Rabat on 18 March. The close timing of the two votes prompted Montagliani to make his plans clear.
The 61-year-old took office 10 years ago after campaigning on a reform platform following the corruption case that led to the arrest of former Concacaf president Jeffrey Webb during an FBI investigation. Webb later acknowledged accepting bribes and illicit payments.
Uefa is also scheduled to elect its president next year. Current leader Aleksander Ceferin confirmed at a meeting of the organisation’s 55 associations in Berlin on Thursday that he intends to seek another term.
Montagliani and Ceferin are likely to maintain their joint push for changes to Fifa’s governance following controversy surrounding the World Cup commercial arrangements. The issue is expected to be discussed at the Fifa council meeting in Zurich next Thursday.
The council has not convened since Infantino’s Fifa Forward Enterprise plan became public in July, despite repeated requests from members for an extraordinary gathering. The Zurich session will be its first meeting since the Fifa congress held in Vancouver last March.
Montagliani, Ceferin and Asian Football Confederation president Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa are expected to request an independent assessment of Fifa Forward Enterprise at the council meeting. They are also likely to advocate wider governance changes that would increase stakeholder participation and formally define the council’s decision-making responsibilities.
The council is also expected to consider an earlier proposal from the three officials, outlined in letters sent to Infantino last month, asking Fifa to distribute part of its $6bn (£4.5bn) cash reserves among member associations.
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