Gianni Infantino made a significant change to FIFA’s administrative structure, separating the administration of the Caribbean nations from the rest of CONCACAF, in a move that is already sparking intense debate within the global soccer community.
Until now, the federations of North and Central America, as well as the Caribbean, were treated administratively as a single bloc within CONCACAF. Now, however, FIFA has decided to establish a separate administrative structure for the 21 Caribbean federations, entrusting it to Zelson Fernandes.
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The 40-year-old former Swiss international, who played for Manchester City and Leicester, among others, during his career, has been with FIFA since 2022. He initially served as director of member associations for Africa, and two years later was promoted to deputy head of that division at the global level.
Fernandes is considered to have close ties to the Infantino administration and works directly with the head of FIFA’s member associations, Elhan Mammadov, one of the president’s closest associates. In his new position, he replaces Zair Bertoni as FIFA’s primary liaison with the Caribbean nations.
FIFA has officially confirmed the change, stating that the goal is to further develop soccer in the region and realize Infantino’s vision for a sport “truly global” sport. According to the federation, Fernández’s experience in development programs will help foster closer cooperation with the national federations of the Caribbean.
However, the timing of the decision has sparked controversy. Sources from federations in Europe and North America believe that the move could affect the balance of power within CONCACAF ahead of the upcoming election for the FIFA presidency. In fact, some critics of the Infantino administration see the split as an attempt to weaken the united front against him.
CONCACAF, along with UEFA and the Asian Football Confederation, is reportedly involved in developments that could lead to the emergence of a rival candidate to Infantino. At the center of this is CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani, who is considered by several European soccer officials to be one of the few figures who could pose a serious electoral challenge to the current FIFA president.
The Canadian official has not yet decided whether he will run for the FIFA presidency, as he is also seeking re-election as head of CONCACAF. The situation becomes even more interesting given that Mexico has already expressed its support for Infantino, a move that is creating different factions within the confederation.
At the same time, the FIFA president has stepped up his contacts with Caribbean nations. At a recent meeting of the Caribbean Football Union in the Dominican Republic, he announced the approval of a series of development projects, funded by FIFA, with a total value of millions of dollars. His critics argue that such moves take on particular political significance as the elections approach.
The first public statements in support of Infantino’s continued tenure have already emerged. The president of the Jamaican Football Federation, Michael Ricketts, defended the current leadership, pointing out that FIFA funding can substantially transform soccer in smaller countries while at the same time strongly criticizing UEFA for its stance.
The European side appears largely united, but the picture in Asia remains more complex, as countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have already come out in support of Infantino.
*photo source: AP
