Fifa president Gianni Infantino refused to stay away from a youth football tournament featuring Bermuda’s under-14 team last week as he undertook a diplomacy blitz on Caribbean football federations.

Infantino, who has faced severe criticism in recent weeks for his plan to sell off commercial rights to the World Cup, was in the Dominican Republic during the Under-14 CFU Series, in which Bermuda lost to Jamaica in the semi-final last week.

The tournament took place alongside a meeting of the Caribbean Football Union, of which Bermuda is a member.

The head of Fifa was originally invited to the tournament as a guest of the Dominican Republic football association, although that invitation was believed to have been issued before his controversial Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal, which has left his position under threat.

According to the BBC, Concacaf president Victor Montagliani wrote a letter to Infantino and asked him to reconsider attending the event, referring to the “governance crisis surrounding Fifa” and saying that his attendance would “unfortunately undermine the technical nature” of the competition.

“The media will focus on this situation, which will unfortunately significantly take away from the technical nature of the CFU youth competition,” wrote Montagliani.

“As such, I respectfully ask you in the name of football to reconsider your attendance as it will unfortunately undermine the technical nature of this important youth development activity.”

Infantino reportedly received a mixed reception on his arrival in the Dominican Republic, where he was pictured with officials, including Bermuda Football Association president Mark Wade who was elected to the CFU executive last year, in a video posted by the Caribbean Football Union on Instagram on Friday.

Mr Wade was travelling back to Bermuda yesterday when questions were posed by The Royal Gazette to the BFA about the CFU meeting and Infantino’s re-election, with a statement expected today.

Infantino attended the meeting to announce Fifa-funded development projects for the region with millions of dollars that had been delayed for months.

Multiple sources attending the CFU meeting told The Guardian in Britain that many Concacaf members were infuriated by Infantino’s behaviour, particularly as he had been asked to stay away.

The Fifa president appears to have used the meeting to lobby for votes among Caribbean countries in the hope of causing a split within Concacaf over his re-election

“We deeply appreciate your visit to the Dominican Republic, without doubt that your presence in our country puts us on the international football radar and opens us great prospects for growth and development of Dominican football,” said Dominican Republic's minister of sports and recreation Kelvin Cruz in a statement.

The U14 CFU series is one of a number of development projects funded by world football's governing body through their Fifa Forward programme.

Infantino has faced heavy criticism over his attempt to sell off stakes in the World Cup and other competitions to private investors through his now-scrapped FFE proposal.

A number of football associations have withdrawn their support for Infantino, who was accused of breaking trust “through deception” in an open letter issued by Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation this month.

In an earlier statement, Concacaf, of which Bermuda is one of 41 members, outlined a unanimous rejection of Infantino’s proposal after an emergency meeting.

“During the meeting, the membership expressed deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant Fifa governance bodies,” the statement read.

“In addition, the need for private equity investment to fund new and existing Fifa Forward programmes following the most profitable Fifa World Cup in history was questioned.

“The discussion reinforced the need for greater transparency and proper governance.

“For these reasons, Concacaf and its 41 member associations have rejected the proposal; tasked their Fifa council members with engaging Fifa to determine how existing vast Fifa reserves could be used to increase Fifa Forward funding for football development across our region; and tasked their Fifa council members with instructing the Fifa president to ensure that any matter follows the proper governance processes via staff and Fifa council, in accordance with the Fifa statutes.

“Through these actions, Concacaf reaffirms that football's future — and its greatest asset — must remain in the hands of our football family.”

However, that statement has since been undermined in recent weeks with a number of Concacaf nations, including Mexico, Grenada and St Kitts & Nevis, backing Infantino to continue for a fourth term as Fifa president.

“There is strong evidence of president Infantino’s commitment to prioritising the preservation of strong unity among member associations and confederations,” read a statement by Grenada Football Association.

“Furthermore, the GFA will not support or recognise any actions by a member association or confederation that threaten to bypass or undermine the established institutional processes within Fifa.

“The association notes the unprecedented financial and technical support provided by Fifa under the leadership of president Gianni Infantino to the development of football in Grenada over the past decade, especially in promoting grass roots, girls' and women's football.

“As part of President Infantino's vision, the increased focus on enabling small member associations to participate meaningfully in international football competitions is already bringing tangible results. Over the past few years, our national teams have travelled far and wide as never before to take part in various competitions and friendly matches.

“The remarkable progress of Cape Verde, demonstrated by its recent participation in the World Cup, is a compelling example of what can be achieved through expanded opportunities and support for small football nations.

“In conclusion, the association reaffirms its support for Infantino and thanks him for facilitating the development of football in Grenada and throughout the Caribbean during his term in office and for years to come.”