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38 B C B U S I N E S S . C A J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 24 could risk 100 percent of it in a bid again, or we could share it and they'd get the bulk of the games anyway, because they have more infrastructure. And he's a good buddy of mine; that's why I can say those words." He also courted Mexico because, as he told the U.S. Soccer president, "if we can put maple syrup and churros on your atti- tude, we'll win." Montagliani, who is now one of eight FIFA vice-presidents, was pretty confident in the bid but didn't take any chances, travelling with the North American delega- tion to 200 federations. "We didn't have to build anything because all the stadiums were there," he says. "Also, with the U.S. market, we knew we'd generate more rev- enue than any other location. And finally, especially when it comes to Canada and the U.S., so many people in those 200 coun- tries have relatives in those places. That cultural, coming home aspect was big." ON THE WORLD STAGE ON MAY 27, 2015, three years into his role with Canada Soccer, Montagliani was in a hotel room in Zurich. The phone rang at 6 a.m. It was Gulati. "He says, 'Victor, turn on CNN right now,'" Montagliani remem- bers. "At a different hotel where all the FIFA executives are, you see sheets covering the windows on TV. I go down there and by that time, they're all gone." Authorities arrested 14 officials, nine of whom were FIFA executives, on charges of wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering. Among the officials were the president of CONCACAF and two of his predecessors. "The lawyer for CONCACAF calls a meet- ing of all the 41 member associations," says Montagliani. "And [he] says, 'We have to constitute an emergency committee of three people to run the organization.' I'll never forget, the president of Jamaica at the time, Horace Burrell, god rest his soul, makes this big speech. He says, 'We have to change the face of the orga- nization. And I think Victor should be appointed!' What? Me?" Montagliani chaired the emergency committee for a year. "No one wanted to deal with us, no banks, no one," he says. In 2016, when an election for president of CONCACAF was called, Montagliani ran against two competitors. "Like anything, when I decide to go, I go. I campaigned on my own dime for three months, went to see all 41 countries, from the U.S. to Bonaire, a little island off Venezuela." He won. And, maybe fittingly, the guy who gets compared to Tony Soprano actu- ally had to clean up the corruption. "I inherited a confederation that was finan- cially, morally and football bankrupt; it had lost a lot of cred," he says. "Especially on the women's side, it was really bad." These days, the federation sees around 1,000 games a year, has what Montagliani calls a "robust women's program" and rakes in hundreds of millions in revenue. Montagliani gives credit to the team he hired, as well as a strategy called One CON- CACAF. "The past leadership was divisive; they pitted everyone against each other," he says. "We're 41 nations, but we're one. Our logo is a circle. And every decision we make is based on what's best for the game." FULL CIRCLE MONTAGLIANI NOW lives in West Van- couver—when he's not travelling some 200 days of the year—with his wife. The couple have two adult daughters. But he hasn't forgotten where he comes from. When photographer Blasberg tells him to look up into the top corner of the net at Garden Park for an angle, he quickly replies, "Oh buddy, I've spent a lot of time looking at that corner." The tight circle of friends and colleagues he had when he used to hang around here is still very much a part of his life. "I'll pick up the phone and say, 'Hey Victor, have you got time for coffee?' And he'll always make it happen," says Crescenzo, who founded the East End Boys Club to help at-risk East Vancouver youth. Part of Crescenzo's job is fundraising for the club. "It's hard to ask people you know for money. With him, I say, 'Here's all the work we're doing, I'm looking for 10 people to provide me with X amount of dollars so we can get the kids a meal every Wednesday.' He'll say, 'Okay, I'll double it.' He cares about the community." Iuele has been to multiple global events with Montagliani—including watching Bra- zilian star Ronaldinho bow down to him at a legends game thanks to his free-kick prowess—but one particular World Cup draw stands out. "[Argentinian soccer icon Diego] Mara- dona is on stage. And [Brazilian soccer leg- end] Pele comes in on a wheelchair—he's just had hip surgery," Iuele recalls. "Mara- dona sees Vic; he says, 'Hey papi!' He jumps off the stage while Vic is starting to talk to Pele. Maradona comes and hugs Vic around the waist while Vic is kissing Pele on the head. I'm 50 feet away and I'm crying. Nobody in Canada understands this man. He's got two of the greatest soccer players in the world who absolutely adore him. He's so well-known around the world, it's kind of funny that when you come to Van- couver nobody knows who he is." That might change when FIFA comes to town and Montagliani inevitably is more exposed to media and fans everywhere. After all, he thinks the games will be like nothing the town has ever seen: "I know 2010 was great... but with all due respect, it's not even close. It'll be way bigger." But if his image in his home country and town doesn't change, it seems like that would be just fine with the man himself. "Leadership is about service, not power," he says. "That's my family's motto. My parents never said those words, but I saw them. I lived them." "THAT'S THE ONE THING WE ALWAYS LACK IN THIS COUNTRY WITH SPORTS—WE NEVER THINK BIG. I ALWAYS HEAR, 'THAT'S NOT HOW WE DO THINGS IN CANADA.'" SPORTS

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