Victor Montagliani, Concacaf President and FIFA Vice President, is overseeing the 2026 FIFA World Cup across Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
The tournament, co-hosted by three nations, represents a historic collaboration that Montagliani helped architect when the United 2026 bid secured hosting rights in June 2018.
Recent match results have boosted the region.
The United States and Mexico secured spots in the round of 32, while Canada earned its first-ever tournament victory by defeating Qatar 6-0.
Regional Progress and the Nations League Impact
Montagliani praised the performance of smaller Concacaf nations.
"You saw the Curaçao result (against Ecuador), that's an amazing result, you saw how Panama battled the first game, obviously Mexico and the U.
S. are through, and even Haiti has played very well in their first two games," he said.
He credited the Concacaf Nations League, introduced in 2018, for elevating smaller teams.
"Before the Nations League, what people thought when they thought about Curaçao is 'Oh, I went there on a cruise ship and bought some blue liquor' — and now they're actually a footballing nation," Montagliani noted.
The Canadian executive expressed pride in the region's overall progression.
"It's changed everything in the last six to seven years and you're going to see more countries in our region do exactly that," he said.
Commenting on Canada's status, Montagliani said, "As a Canadian, we're obviously in a great place."
Canada faces a crucial group match against Switzerland at BC Place in Vancouver to determine its advancement into the knockout stages.
Scrutiny Over Compensation and Past Controversies
An IRS filing from January 2026 revealed that Montagliani receives an annual compensation exceeding $3 million for approximately five hours of weekly work for Concacaf.
The disclosure has drawn attention amid the tournament's spotlight.
Additionally, The Guardian reported that Montagliani's past tenure at Canada Soccer left significant controversies regarding institutional failures.
Former players accused him and other officials of failing to properly address sexual assault allegations against former under-20 women's team coach Bob Birarda, who was later convicted and jailed.
"Victor Montagliani and [Canada Soccer General Secretary] Peter Montopoli covered up a sexual predator," a former player told The Guardian.
Another player said, "Canada Soccer did more to protect the predator than they have ever done to protect us, the players."
Montagliani also recalled early encounters where European executives doubted Canadian football knowledge.
After a meeting in Zurich, a European league executive told him, "I never thought a Canadian had this kind of knowledge about football."
Montagliani responded, "There's more than one of us. There's a lot of us.
We just haven't had the opportunity."
Reflecting on his upbringing in East Vancouver, Montagliani attributed his direct style to his youth.
"You need to stand on your own two feet and think on your own two feet pretty quickly," he explained.
Longtime friend Carl Valentine noted, "You're either going to like him a lot or dislike him a lot, because what you see is what you get."
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim designated September 12 as an annual celebration dedicated to Montagliani. "Victor's story is a Vancouver story," Sim said.
