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Gianni Infantino addresses 38th Concacaf Congress in Guatemala
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Victor Montagliani re-elected as Concacaf President
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Mr Infantino says Concacaf has made incredible progress
Gianni Infantino has congratulated Victor Montagliani on being re-elected as President on Concacaf and praised him for turning Concacaf into a confederation that focuses on football. The FIFA President attended the 38th Concacaf Congress in Antigua, Guatemala, where Mr Montagliani was re-elected unopposed for a further four-year term in the role that he has held since 2016.
“I want to say it here very clearly that Victor Montagliani is the best [thing] that could have happened to Concacaf. He came in at a difficult time, you all know that, and his qualities, his integrity, his passion, his loyalty, make Concacaf what it is today — a confederation which is focusing on football,” said the FIFA President. “You organise more. You participate more. Boys, girls, seniors, clubs, there is much more going on in this confederation.……Concacaf has made incredible steps forward.”
The FIFA President emphasised that six Concacaf teams had qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand 2023™ — the United States, Canada, Jamaica, Haiti, Panama and Costa Rica — and said it was “just the beginning” for the region.
He said that the expansion of the FIFA World Cup 2026 ™ to 48 teams would allow at least six, and up to eight, Concacaf teams to take part, which would provide a further incentive to invest in football. Similarly, the new 32-team FIFA Club World Cup, starting from 2025, and a planned FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, would give more chances to Concacaf teams to appear on the global stage.
“It means that, of course, you can start planning, you can start investing – you, your governments, your cities, in football, in football development, both for girls and for boys, for men and for women,” said Mr Infantino. “Because there is a pathway, there is a road to the global stage for national teams — men, women – (and) for clubs as well, the new men’s Club World Cup as well with four teams from Concacaf participating. And, of course, we are looking at doing something for a women’s Club World Cup as well, to boost women’s club football.”
Rodolfo Villalobos of Costa Rica was elected to the FIFA Council. Randolph Harris (Barbados), Nick Bontis (Canada) and Jorge Salomon (Honduras) were elected as Concacaf Council Vice Presidents and Sonia Fulford (Turks and Caicos Islands), Cindy Parlow Cone (U.S.) and Sergio Chuc (Belize) were elected as Concacaf Council members.
