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Asian Football Confederation makes U-turn, backs Gianni Infantino for another term as FIFA president

hellohimachalse@gmail.com 23 Oct 2026 1 hour ago

New Delhi: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has endorsed Gianni Infantino for a fourth term as the FIFA president. Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa Salman, the president of the AFC, gave public backing to Infantino during the confederation’s Congress in Tokyo this week.

AFC’s backing for Infantino comes as a surprise as a couple of months back the Asian football body had signed a joint letter with the UEFA and the Concacaf, criticising Infantino over his failed plan to sell stakes in the FIFA World Cup to private investors.

AFC seems to have made a significant U-turn and has now expressed its backing for Infantino to be re-elected as the FIFA president. “We reaffirm our full commitment, of course, to supporting you as you seek a new mandate as president,” Salman said at the AFC Congress, which was also attended by Infantino.

The support from AFC comes as a major boost for Infantino, who seemed to have lost confidence among the major continental bodies after his plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors backfired spectacularly. The three confederations had accused Infantino and FIFA of breaking trust “through deception” over the proposal earlier this year.

We had some issues but ready to move forward: AFC president

During the AFC Congress in Tokyo, Salman told the meeting that the confederation did have some issues with Infantino in the past but that it was time to move forward. He revealed majority of the AFC members were ready to support Infantino in his bid to continue as the FIFA president.

“I’ve spoken to a lot of members within this continent. I know your feeling and I think your commitment is clear as well. Your support to Gianni is very clear,” said Salman.

“Yes, we had some issues, we spoke about them in the past, but let’s not relate the two things together…As one Asian family, we are ready to move forward, united in your support, Gianni,” he added.

18 November is the deadline for all candidates to file their nominations for the FIFA president post and Salman’s endorsement comes at a crucial time for Infantino, who is aiming to secure a fourth term. The election will take place in Rabat, where UEFA will have the majority votes – 55, followed by Africa 54, Asia 46, CONCACAF 35, Oceania 11 and CONMEBOL 10.

None of the candidates has yet filed their nominations for the FIFA president post or expressed their desire to rival Infantino for the position. There is a strong chance Infantino might stand unopposed in the election, but reports claim Victor Montagliani, the president of CONCACAF, and UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin can be in contention for the top post.

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