Fifa president Gianni Infantino has separated management of Caribbean football associations from the rest of Concacaf, installing a loyalist in a move his critics say is designed to fracture the confederation and shore up his position ahead of next year's presidential election. Concacaf, alongside Uefa and the Asian Football Confederation, is attempting to remove Infantino from office, and opponents view the reshuffle as an attempt to peel Caribbean votes away from the bloc's president, Victor Montagliani, who is seen as a credible challenger to Infantino.

Former Switzerland international Gelson Fernandes, who already oversees Fifa's African member associations, has been given responsibility for the 21 Caribbean-based members too, replacing Jair Bertoni without prior consultation with national associations or Concacaf. Fifa says the change supports Infantino's vision of making football "truly global", but the appointment follows Infantino's disputed attendance at a Caribbean Football Union meeting last month, where he announced multimillion-dollar development projects for the region. Mexico has already broken from Concacaf to back Infantino, and some Caribbean figures, including Jamaican federation president Michael Ricketts, have publicly sided with him, suggesting his lobbying may be gaining traction.