UNITED BEHIND INFANTINO

FIFA President Gianni Infantino (left) speaks with British Virgin Islands Football Association President Avanell Morton during the launch of the island’s new technical centre on Saturday. (Photo: FIFA Media) The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) will not be alone in backing FIFA President Gianni Infantino with fellow Caribbean associations of Trinidad and Tobago, British Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and St Kitts and Nevis also on board. Infantino recently completed his tour of the Caribbean at the weekend with many critics believing the trip was used to try to secure votes as he seeks to remain FIFA president for another four years ahead of the body’s congress in Morocco in March. Infantino, 54, has led FIFA since 2016 and has faced increased scrutiny over the past few months after his controversial plan to sell stakes in FIFA competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cup, to private investors. This plan was eventually scrapped last month after widespread backlash. Infantino’s recent Caribbean visit was his second in a matter of weeks after attending the Caribbean Football Union Presidents’ Meeting in the Dominican Republic. He was advised prior by his FIFA vice-president and Concacaf President Victor Montagliani to stay away from the event. His first stop was in Kingston on Friday where he met with JFF officials, including President Michael Ricketts, and attended the Reggae Boyz’s 3-2 win over Guatemala in the Concacaf Nations League at the National Stadium. Trinidad and Tobago Football Association President Kieron Edwards (left) sits with FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the Concacaf Nations League game between Jamaica and Guatemala at the National Stadium on Friday. (Photo: FIFA Media) As the Jamaica Observer reported on Sunday, the JFF will back Infantino in the upcoming elections with the board of directors in favour of him staying. Ricketts told the Observer in August that he would support Infantino, given what he describes as massive support he’s given to football, particularly in the Caribbean. Ricketts reiterated his support for Infantino after his one-day visit to the island. “I think Infantino has done so very well for football globally,” he said. “I remember when I got into football as the president, the support from FIFA was medial to say the least.It has been a lot better now and we are just very grateful and we are looking forward to further improvements so that we can impact not just football but the social well-being of every boy and girl who plays the sport.” Also in Kingston during Infantino’s visit was Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TFFA) Kieron Edwards who also attended the game on Friday. Trinidad’s senior men’s team played Haiti at Sabina Park a day before. In 2020, FIFA appointed a normalisation committee to manage the TTFA’s affairs due to serious financial issues. However, it was lifted in 2024 with Edwards being named president. Edwards says FIFA has helped to reshape football in his country. FIFA President Gianni Infantino (left), Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne (centre), and Antigua and Barbuda Football Association President Ickford Roberts after a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in St John’s, Antigua, on Saturday. (Photo: FIFA Media) “FIFA is our largest supporter when it comes to our infrastructure,” he said. “Even our leagues, when we look at our women’s league now, [it’s a] full professional league, playing for seven months for the year, over 12 teams. That was only [possible because of] the continued support of FIFA in terms of our games. When it comes to the support of FIFA in terms of growing football, not just in Trinidad and Tobago but across the Caribbean and Concacaf, it’s been tremendous so far.” Edwards says he has no doubts that the TTFA will be backing Infantino at the elections next year. “We would have given President Infantino our full support and we have not wavered with that. Things do come up, changes, you have to have discussions, you have to have dialogue but the support is there 100 per cent behind the President always.” British Virgin Islands (BVI) Football Association president Avanell Morton has also thrown his support behind Infantino. Infantino visited BVI on Saturday and opened the new BVI Technical Centre, which was funded by FIFA. “What more can he do? He’s doing a fantastic job already. He’s doing a fantastic job in the entire region,” Morton said. The Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA), led by President Ickford Roberts, is also in favour of Infantino staying on as president. Infantino visited the island on Saturday and met with Roberts and Prime Minister Gaston Browne, who announced that a new football stadium would be built with FIFA support. “[Infantino’s] transformative policies, from ground-breaking investment in grassroots infrastructure to the historic expansion of World Cup access, have elevated the aspirations of emerging football nations into attainable realities,” the ABFA said in a statement recently. “By listening with genuine humility and acting with decisive conviction, he has forged a legacy of inclusivity that transcends the sport itself, affirming that every nation, regardless of size, deserves equal voice and fair opportunity on the world stage.” Infantino also visited St Kitts and Nevis on Saturday, where he attended the launch of a new technical centre with St Kitts and Nevis Football Association President Atiba Hattis president giving his support. Infantino could have as many as 25 Caribbean votes behind him if all of the region’s FIFA member associations support his bid. No one has signalled intentions to challenge Infantino with nominations closing on November 18, but it’s understood that Montagliani is seen as a credible opponent who would receive the backing of Europe (UEFA) and the Asian Football Confederation.