Soccer-Embattled Infantino says FIFA must close financial gap between 'big countries' and 'others'

Gianni Infantino said on Sunday that it was FIFA's job to ​close the gap between its wealthy members and those ​that have few financial resources, adding that ‌some ​prosperous federations did not want others to grow. The FIFA president has come under intense pressure since the collapse of his proposal to sell a minority stake in a ‌new FIFA commercial entity to private investors, which would have offered up to $40 million to each of the member football federations.

"This is our task – this is our job. We want to grow football in every one of our 211 countries in the ‌world," Infantino said in a video interview released by FIFA after he met with members of the Caribbean ‌Football Union (CFU) in the Dominican Republic at the weekend. "Some, unfortunately, don't need and they don’t want that others grow, but we need to narrow this gap between the big, big countries and all the others.

"We need to find investments for all the others - opportunities for all the others. This ⁠is about, ​indeed, finding and giving opportunities, ⁠access, and resources to world football. "That's what we have been trying to do in the last 10 years and also in the last ten ⁠weeks, and what we will be continuing to do in the next years."

Infantino is up for reelection next year but world soccer’s ​regional powerhouses are discussing whether to move a vote of no confidence in him ahead of the ballot, ⁠senior figures familiar with the discussions told Reuters last week. European confederation UEFA, Asia’s AFC and CONCACAF, which represents North and Central America and the Caribbean, ⁠are ​considering the move.

The Caribbean Football Union (CFU) forms part of CONCACAF and Infantino said he had been very happy with how he had been received on the sidelines of the body's under-14 Challenge Series in the Dominican Republic. "It’s important to ⁠engage, to have a dialogue, to express views and opinions – a lot has been happening in the last few weeks ⁠and it’s important that you ⁠hear, you listen and you’re able to, also, express what your feelings are," he added.

CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani had asked Infantino to stay away from the tournament, saying his ‌presence would overshadow the ‌event due to mounting opposition to his leadership.