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.
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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."
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Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim designated September 12 as an annual celebration dedicated to Montagliani. "Victor's story is a Vancouver story," Sim said.
