Victor Montagliani's journey: From local player to high position in FIFA

Victor Montagliani, President of Concacaf, has become a prominent name in world football when he contributed to bringing the 2026 World Cup to North America. He is considered by many to be a bright candidate for the position of FIFA President in the future. Montagliani's journey began during his childhood years in the East Vancouver area, where he was raised in a football atmosphere by his father, one of the founders of the Italian Sports Federation in Canada.

Montagliani was a player for Columbus FC and also spent time playing for the Canadian national futsal team. After suffering an injury, he decided to move into soccer management, quickly climbing to leadership positions at BC Soccer and then Canada Soccer.

In 2012, Montagliani was elected president of Canada Soccer and was in Zurich on the morning of May 27, 2015, when the arrests of FIFA officials took place. He led Concacaf during a time of crisis and in 2016 became the first non-Caribbean person to serve as President of Concacaf since 1969.


Montagliani has had close links with big names in football such as Carlo Ancelotti and Pelé. However, his path was not smooth. In 2021, players of the Vancouver Whitecaps women's team called for Montagliani to be suspended in connection with the failure to properly handle allegations against Bob Birarda, a coach of inappropriate conduct.

Montagliani has been criticized for his role in not going public with the serious allegations and there have been extensive investigations into how Canada Soccer handled the case. He has confirmed that Canada Soccer has taken the allegations seriously and has taken the necessary actions.

Under Montagliani's leadership, Canada Soccer signed a number of controversial contracts, including a partnership with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which many said could tarnish the image and value of soccer.

However, Montagliani continued to advance, and in 2023 he was re-elected as President of Concacaf. He emphasized that leadership is not only about power but also about serving the community. Currently, he is aiming to organize the 2026 World Cup, one of the world's largest sporting events, and may run for the position of FIFA President in the near future.