Almost 10 years on from his election as president of Concacaf, it feels somewhat fitting that Victor Montagliani will mark a decade in the role when the US, Canada and Mexico host the Fifa World Cup next summer.
The appointment in May 2016 of Montagliani, ushered in a new era for Concacaf, the governing body for football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
Prior to the Canadian’s arrival, Concacaf was mired in serious financial trouble, with corruption scandals involving former presidents, leaving trust in the organisation at an all-time low.
CREATING A NEW IMAGE
Tasked with restoring Concacaf’s tainted image, Montagliani, the former president of Canada Soccer, gradually introduced an era of transparency for the governing body.
Reforms included the introduction of term limits on Concacaf presidents and executive members, as well as background checks on commercial partners. A firm focus was placed on trust and openness, as Montagliani explains.
“When I became president in 2016, Concacaf was in a very difficult place. We were financially, morally and football bankrupt,” says Montagliani, whose current four-year term as president runs to 2027.
“The first step was restoring credibility through governance reform, because with-out trust there is no business. From there, we built a professional management team from diverse backgrounds and introduced sound financial practices.
“We stabilised operations, then focused on long-term sustainability by creating new competitions and commercial partnerships and refreshing our entire brand ecosystem. The turnaround has been about discipline, transparency and unity across our member associations, and put-ting football first.”
After a comprehensive external search performed by Korn Ferry, Philippe Moggio was appointed general secretary of Concacaf in June 2016, a month after Montagliani was installed as president. He is responsible for the confederation’s daily business and operations.
Alongside Montagliani, he has helped create a new image of trust and professionalism for Concacaf, overseeing the expansion of club and national team competitions, and the launch of the women’s Gold Cup and Champions Cup.
From an early stage, Concacaf restructured its council, introduced independent committees, and set clear statutes on ethics and compliance. It also professionalised management, ensuring executives had the independence to deliver day-to-day operations free of political interference.
Moggio insists that governance re-form is not a “box to tick” and instead must become part of the culture. “Operationally, we aligned resources to deliver these priorities: centralising media rights, improving budgeting processes, and investing directly in football development programmes,” says Moggio.
“The lesson for other organisations is that financial health isn’t achieved by cost-cutting alone, but by building trust and creating value that can be reinvested into the sport to earn back confidence.
“Trust is earned through consistent actions and putting football first in all of our decisions. For federations, we created programmes like One Concacaf and the Executive Mentorship Program that directly support their development both on and off the pitch.
“For fans, we expanded competitions and our content offering to bring football closer to every community. For commercial partners, we offered transparency and innovation, showing that investing in Concacaf strengthens the sport across the region and across the globe. The lesson is simple: listen to stakeholders, act consistently, and put football first.”
CULTURE SHIFT
By Montagliani’s own admission, the introduction of the Concacaf Nations League has been a “game-changer” for the organisation.
Launched in 2019, the tournament operates under a similar format to the Uefa Nations League and provides nation-al teams with meaningful, competitive matches away from major tournaments.
This year’s Nations League final between Mexico and Panama attracted a crowd of more than 68,000 at SoFi Stadium in California – an impressive feat considering the match did not feature host nation the US.
Concacaf has also introduced a Women’s Champions Cup and revamped the men’s Champions Cup (formerly known as the Champions League) to great success. As Moggio states, sport drives the business, and business reinvests into sport.
Montagliani adds: “The creation of the Concacaf Nations League was a game-changer, both competitively and commercially. We also centralised media rights and digital platforms to tell our story consistently and create value for partners. Structurally, we realigned our commercial programme across three distinct packages across our men’s national team competitions, our men’s club competitions, and our women’s competitions, which is allowing us to develop better strategic partner relationships.
“A key part of this evolution has been the investment behind women’s football which includes expanding competitions, visibility, and commercial opportunities across the women’s game. These steps have built more balance and given Concacaf a sustainable commercial base, not just episodic revenue spikes.”
“The creation of the Concacaf Nations League was a game-changer, both competitively and commercially”
Victor Montagliani, president of Concacaf
Moggio admits that changing the culture at Concacaf and shifting from a “transactional mindset to a values-driven organisation” has been the hardest part in transforming the federation’s image.
“We embedded principles of integrity and transparency into every level of work,” he says. “Progress was gradual, trust is fragile, holding ourselves accountable and celebrating football’s role in uniting our region has been pivotal.
“For us, football always comes first, but our brand story has helped anchor the cultural shift: unity – one culture, together; access – everyone gets to play; and quality – raising our level every day. What makes us different is that we are a confederation where football comes first, raising our game each time we take the field. The essence of who we are – our love for the game – has guided every step of this journey.”
WORLD CUP LEGACY
While next year’s World Cup will be organised by Fifa, Concacaf will still have a key role to play as the host confederation.
Earlier this year, Concacaf staged its Gold Cup national team tournament, with five of the host venues to also be used during the World Cup next summer: AT&T Stadium in Dallas, NRG Stadium in Houston, Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco, BC Place in Vancouver, and the aforementioned SoFi Stadium.
To align with the scheduling of the Fifa Club World Cup, the Concacaf Gold Cup matches were hosted primarily on the US west coast, creating space for both tour-naments to shine. The two events offered a glimpse into what next year’s expanded 48-team World Cup may look like.
Back in 2022, Fifa president Gianni Infantino predicted that football, or soccer, would be the number one sport in North America by the time the World Cup comes around.
The claim may appear fanciful, but Major League Soccer’s global brand is stronger than ever, thanks in no small part to superstar Lionel Messi, who will be seeking to retain his World Cup crown in 2026 and win the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup after his Inter Miami team qualified by reaching the Leagues Cup final earlier this year.
Last year, MLS attracted cumulative crowds of more than 12.1 million, making it the second-best attended league in the world after the Premier League, according to Opta data. Furthermore, San Diego FC became the 30th MLS franchise when debuting in the competition earlier this year. The sport is evidently growing year on year in the US, and the significance of the first World Cup in North America for over three decades is not lost on Moggio.
“The legacy must be felt across every member association,” he says. “Beyond
the tournament, we want to see more young players inspired to play, stronger infrastructures for leagues, and better development pathways. The biggest benefits will be participation growth, commercial opportunities that strengthen federations, and a raised profile for Concacaf globally. The tournament is one month, but the legacy can and will last generations.”
Montagliani adds: “As the host confederation, our role is to ensure the tournament benefits not just the three host nations but all 41 of our members. We’re focused on using 2026 to elevate football’s profile, increase participation, showcase our region globally, and ensure that every fan that attends a World Cup match becomes a Concacaf fan.”
REALISING POTENTIAL
Looking ahead, Concacaf’s 2030 strategic plan highlights several key opportunities for growth in the coming years.
The plan will focus on six key pillars, which will seek to position Concacaf for long-term growth and ensure that football “continues to come first” in everything the organisation does.
“Competitive excellence ensures every member association has the tools to succeed regionally and globally,” explains Moggio. “Women’s football also remains a top priority, with investments in competitions and participation at all levels.
“Maximising potential speaks to advancing football development through new pro-grammes and facilities. Operational efficiency emphasises transparency, inclusion and collaboration. Enhanced monetisation strengthens our commercial programmes to increase investment, while global growth expands our fan base through digital and experiential engagement.”
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Concacaf’s evolving digital engagement strategy is enhancing the reach and appeal of the confederation’s teams and competitions.
“Over the past cycle, we’ve made significant strides in digital,” Moggio explains. Concacaf has relaunched its mobile app, developed in collaboration with Deltatre, introduced over-the-top streaming, and achieved record-breaking engagement on social platforms during major tournaments.
“These steps have allowed us to own more of our content distribution, connect directly with fans, and tell our story consistently across the region,” Moggio adds.
Looking ahead, there are high hopes that the confederation’s new cultural storytelling platform, 41 Diamonds, will elevate voices across Concacaf’s 41 member nations.
“Built around access, support, and visibility, 41 Diamonds empowers creators, from filmmakers and photographers to gamers and musicians, to share authentic football stories across mediums,” Moggio explains.
“The platform’s debut project, Heritage, reached more than 70 million views across the region. Alongside this, we continue to invest in an always-on content and data strategy, ensuring we connect with fans year-round in more personalised, meaningful ways.”
“We continue to invest in an always-on content and data strategy, ensuring we connect with fans year-round”
Phillipe Moggio, general secretary of Concacaf
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL GROWTH
The growth of women’s football is establishing new connections with fans in the region and beyond – and is particularly important to Concacaf.
Although the host nations for the 2031 Fifa Women’s World Cup will be officially announced next year, the tournament is set to be awarded to the Concacaf region after a US-led bid was the only proposal submitted. US Soccer recently announced plans to co-host the expanded 48-team tournament alongside fellow Concacaf members Costa Rica, Jamaica and Mexico. If the bid is approved by Fifa next year, Jamaica will become the first Caribbean host of a senior Fifa tournament.
Last year, Concacaf debuted its new W Champions Cup club competition, with teams from the US, Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Panama and El Salvador all taking part in the inaugural edition. Just this year, a new six-team professional women’s league launched in Canada.
Concacaf is hopeful that these new tournaments can usher in a new era of competitiveness for women’s club football in the region, which should in turn have a knock-on impact at international level.
“Women’s football is central to Concacaf’s future,” says Moggio. “The launch of the Concacaf W Champions Cup and the introduction of an expanded competition ecosystem, which now includes three major centralised events in a four-year cycle, are milestones.
“Our goal is to provide players with more competitive opportunities year-round, strengthening national teams and clubs. We also continue to invest in other formats such as beach football and futsal, which create additional pathways for participation and growth.
“Over the next cycle, we expect significant increases in participation, viewership, and commercial investment, with women’s football standing as a co-anchor of our sporting calendar, not a complement.”
A FOCUS ON THE NEXT DECADE
Although next year will mark a decade as Concacaf president for Montagliani, the Canadian is not resting on his laurels. His focus is now on the next 10 years and with men’s and women’s World Cups on the horizon, the potential for further growth is exciting.
“Football has been part of my life for as long as I can remember, and leading Concacaf has only deepened that connection,” he says.
“In the next decade, I want to see our region’s potential fully realised – whether that’s the continued growth of the sport in Canada, where I began my journey; the established influence and expanding impact of the United States; the continued rise of Caribbean football at every level, or the rich traditions of Central America and Mexico continuing to flourish and produce world-class talent.
“I also see women’s football thriving alongside the men’s game, standing as a pillar of our calendar and culture. I hope Concacaf is recognised not only for world-class competitions and strong commercial partnerships, but also for being a confederation where opportunity truly exists for everyone. At the heart of it all is our essence: the love for our game. That passion must continue to drive everything we do.”
To learn more about Concacaf, head to their website.
