May 1 – ‘What a difference a year makes’. This time last year the FIFA president was late for his own congress in Paraguay, the Conmebol president pitched a 64-team World Cup for 2030, and the European delegation walked out at the coffee break in protest.
‘There’s a rainbow before me, Skies can be stormy…” sang Dinah Washington.
In the football context the rainbow is World Cup 2026, there is a pot of gold at the end of it, but there have certainly been storms on this journey.
Victor Montagliani, Concacaf president and FIFA vice-president knows first hand the apocalyptic change world football has travelled and in his welcoming address to the FIFA Congress in his home city of Vancouver, he struck a series of notes and themes Dinah Washington’s songwriter would have been proud of.
“This is a very special moment in my professional journey. And it’s not just professional – it’s deeply personal,” said Montagliani.
It was also a moment in which Montagliani reminded his audience of world football leaders of their collective responsibility to the game and that “leadership is not about power, it is about service. It’s about making decisions for the many – not the few.
“And when leaders choose service, they can transform not just organisations but the sport itself,” he said.
Montagliani has now led Concacaf for 10 years, and they have been transformational years.
“When leadership serves the sport, not itself, the impossible becomes possible,” said Montagliani.
“A decade ago, Concacaf faced serious challenges. We were bankrupt – morally, financially, and especially in terms of football.
“Rebuilding required transparency. Accountability. And people who believed football mattered more than preserving the status quo.”
Now Concacaf and its biggest nations are hosting the World Cup.
“A proud moment for Concacaf. A confederation united by the love for our game,” said Montagliani.
World Cup 2026 is now just 40 days away and Montagliani took the opportunity to congratulate his own qualified nations of Panamá, Haiti and Curacao who he said were making him proud.
“Everyone in this room shares a common DNA – a love for football. And yet, many of us also share a common story. We are the proud sons and daughters of immigrants. That, in so many ways, is the story of Canada,” said Montagliani.
“We grew up surrounded by fellow immigrant families who saw our game as a way to build community. Because football is special.
“And as glorious as the World Cup can be, football itself is much bigger. It is about more than the spectacle – it is about impact.”
For Montagliani, “the World Cup is not the final destination. It is a responsibility and an opportunity. We need to think far beyond the summer,” he said.
“We must strengthen our football ecosystems in every member association. We must invest in governance, better facilities, better coaching, and better opportunities for young players,” he continued.
“Because behind every ambition, there is a face.”
Montagliani closed his welcome with a message of unity and shared responsibility, saying “the next chapter of football must be written by all of us – not handed down from the top but built from the ground up.
“By every association and by every community that ever gave a child a ball and told them they belonged. Through all of us remembering that we don’t lead above football – we lead within it, for it, and above all in service to it.”
This was a powerful and timely reminder of what makes football and the World Cup special.
There has been a growing feeling of joylessness around the World Cup and FIFA’s administration in that regard, especially in the US where it only ever seems to be about the money.
Montagliani has a different perspective. “Let’s celebrate every goal, every victory, every moment that reminds us why we gave our lives to this game.
“But above all, let us remain focused, united, and committed to putting football first.”
Perhaps we can find genuine and shared World Cup joy this summer after all.
“Right now, outside these walls, the world feels less stable. In many places, cooperation is weakening, trust is disappearing, and the rules that tie us together are being tested, if not ignored,” said Montaglini.
“Which is exactly why what we do here – as members of the FIFA family – matters so much.”
And, for the record, at this congress in Montagliani’s city of Vancouver, everyone turned up on time, there were no ideas sprung on an unsuspecting community from left field, and no-one walked out, got lost or were left behind.
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