Copyright caymancompass
The Cayman Islands Football Association recently hosted Victor Montagliani, president of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football and vice president of FIFA. During his two-day visit on 26-27 Oct., Montagliani met with CIFA executives, government leaders and members of the local media to discuss opportunities for strengthening football development and positioning the Cayman Islands as a hub for regional competitions and international friendlies. Additionally, his visit gave CIFA the opportunity to showcase its football facilities, development programmes and vision for the game’s continued progress locally. Montagliani’s visit began with a tour of the CIFA Centre for Excellence, including the national training centre, and a presentation on the association’s infrastructure and development projects. The tour was followed by a press briefing in the CIFA boardroom, where Montagliani addressed members of the local media alongside, Alfredo Whittaker, CIFA’s president, and Isaac Rankine, Cayman’s minister for sports. During the press briefing, Montagliani commended Cayman’s investment in its football facilities, describing the growth as “tremendous”, adding that “CIFA really punches above its weight in terms of its commitment [to the sport].” Cayman has shown the results of that commitment through the national senior men’s team historic promotion in the Nations League competition in 2024. Montagliani made reference to the promotion, saying the better Cayman plays in League B, the less likely it will be “not to get relegated”. He also acknowledged Cayman’s investment beyond its sports infrastructure, saying, “One of the [things] I’ve noticed with your federation – and [Whittaker] is big on this, I know – their programme is not scared to play young players in any age group, even with the senior team, and that needs to continue.” The following day, Montagliani met with several other Cayman government leaders, including Premier André Ebanks and Minister for Infrastructure Jay Ebanks. He was joined once again by Whittaker and Rankine. “Our discussions focused on the ongoing CIFA development projects and how best we can partner to create more opportunities for youth through sport, harnessing football as a tool for community building, personal growth, and national pride,” Rankine said in a social media post later. Montagliani, who has served as CONCACAF president since 2016, also holds several key international positions, including FIFA vice president, chair of the FIFA Stakeholders Committee, and chair of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Organizing Committee, overseeing preparations for the first World Cup to be jointly hosted by Canada, the US and Mexico.
