CONCACAF reportedly asks Infantino to skip youth event as FIFA opposition grows

CONCACAF has reportedly asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino not to attend an upcoming youth tournament, a fresh sign of tension around the leadership of world football’s governing body.

Al Jazeera reported the request on August 22, 2026, amid a wider governance dispute involving Infantino. The reported intervention by the confederation representing North and Central America and the Caribbean comes as officials in other regions weigh their position before FIFA’s next presidential election.

A separate Guardian report said senior figures from African football federations had approached FIFA general secretary Mattias Grafström to gauge whether he might consider standing against Infantino in 2027. According to that report, Grafström was non-committal, and he did not respond to the newspaper’s request for comment.

The Guardian also reported that some African federations are reconsidering their support for Infantino, although the Confederation of African Football has publicly said its executive committee unanimously backed him. The differing accounts underline uncertainty within FIFA’s 211-member electorate; they do not establish that Grafström or any other official will enter the race.

Infantino remains FIFA president, and no formal challenger is identified in the source reports. The reported CONCACAF request and contacts with Grafström nevertheless indicate that opposition is becoming more organised across multiple football regions.