Friday 09 August 2019, 17:18

FIFA President initiates tour of the Caribbean with visit to Cayman Islands

FIFA President Gianni Infantino, alongside FIFA Vice-President and Concacaf President Victor Montagliani, has today started a three-day tour of the Caribbean region with a first stop to the Cayman Islands.

The short visit had a packed, football-centered agenda, including meetings with the Cayman Islands FA (CIFA) leadership and players of the national teams.

The day at Grand Cayman started with a visit of the CIFA headquarters and, as the visit coincided with the Caribbean Football Union’s U-14 Girls Challenge Series, the FIFA President also had the opportunity to see some of the finest young talent of the Cayman Islands. Infantino and Montagliani met the local U-14 women’s national team followed by an exchange with the captains of six Cayman Islands national teams.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino visits the Cayman Islands

The presidents of the global and regional governing bodies went on to meet CIFA President Alfredo Whittaker and officials at the CIFA headquarters. It was an occasion to review the work of the national association and the specificities and progress of football in the country, ranging from the restructuring of the national leagues both at senior and youth level, to the revamp of national team football for the different age categories, coaching and refereeing. Special attention is also being given to growing the women’s game and football at the grassroots level.

Speaking to the press at the end of the visit, the FIFA President praised the work done by the current administration: "This is a visit of encouragement to the CIFA. We are working together to rebuild football here in the Cayman Islands, where our sport plays a very important role for the community. We are on the right track to bring back the situation to normality and need to keep on working together for the development and prosperity of football and the community in the Cayman Islands."