Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, the global governing body of football, has made a recent decision to separate the management of Caribbean football from the rest of Concacaf, the regional football organization covering North and Central America and the Caribbean. This move has sparked criticism from some quarters. Previously, all Concacaf members, including the Caribbean nations, were managed as a single bloc. Gelson Fernandes, a FIFA loyalist and former Swiss midfielder, has now been appointed as the director of member associations for the Caribbean, in addition to his existing role overseeing FIFA’s African members. Fernandes, who played for clubs like Manchester City and Leicester, joined FIFA in 2022 and was promoted to deputy chief members associations officer in 2024. He works closely with Elkhan Mammadov, FIFA’s chief members associations officer and a close ally of Infantino. Fernandes has replaced Jair Bertoni as FIFA’s liaison with the 21 Caribbean-based members. The change was communicated to national associations and Concacaf last week without prior consultation. FIFA confirmed the appointment, stating it was intended to support Infantino’s vision of making football truly global. Meanwhile, Concacaf is reportedly working with UEFA, Europe’s football governing body, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to challenge Infantino’s leadership. Some sources from European and North American member associations believe the change aims to split the Concacaf vote ahead of March’s presidential election, with one source calling it an "administrative war" against Concacaf president Victor Montagliani. Montagliani, a Canadian, is seen by many in UEFA as the most credible candidate to challenge Infantino, though he has not yet decided whether to run for FIFA president and is currently focused on seeking re-election as Concacaf’s president. Infantino has intensified his re-election campaign following the World Cup sell-off scandal. Recently, he ignored a written request from Montagliani to avoid attending a meeting of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) in the Dominican Republic. At the meeting, Infantino announced approval for several FIFA-funded development projects in the Caribbean, worth millions of dollars. Mexico has already aligned itself with Infantino, and losing the support of the Caribbean could be a major setback for those trying to remove him from power. Early signs suggest Infantino’s strategy may be working. Michael Ricketts, president of Jamaica’s football federation, recently supported the current status quo, stating that Infantino’s intentions were to help Caribbean and smaller nations. He noted the potential impact of receiving $40 million in funding for football development. Ricketts also criticized UEFA, comparing its members to "spoiled children." While UEFA’s 55 members are believed to be united in their opposition to Infantino, the strength of the AFC alliance remains uncertain. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have defied the AFC by supporting Infantino. Infantino has reaffirmed his intention to seek a fourth term as FIFA president, with the deadline for other candidates to announce their candidacy set for 18 November.