Gianni Infantino’s re-election as FIFA President appears increasingly likely, with confederations pledging support and no rival candidates.
Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), has backed Gianni Infantino for a fourth term as FIFA president, two months after he criticised his leadership.
Speaking at the AFC Congress in Tokyo, Japan, today (23 October), Sheikh Salman pledged the confederation’s support for Infantino ahead of next year’s presidential election.
“We reaffirm our full commitment, of course, to supporting you as you seek a new mandate as president,” Sheikh Salman said, with Infantino in attendance.
He also called for unity among Asian football nations, saying, “As one Asian family, we are ready to move forward, united in your support, Gianni.”
Infantino has been at the centre of attention since the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a tournament he would likely consider a huge success, as reports suggest FIFA surpassed $15bn in commercial revenue across the 2023-2026 period.
However, many federations have demanded Infantino step down after controversies, including the overturning of a red card after an alleged phone call from US President Donald Trump and his now-abandoned plan to sell a 20% stake in FIFA’s commercial operations, including the World Cup, to private investors.
Amid the recent heat, Infantino unsurprisingly welcomed Sheikh Salman’s endorsement, telling those in attendance that he had done a “fantastic job” at the AFC over the past 13 years.
When asked about the backing following the event, the FIFA president said: “I feel great about the AFC’s support.”
A stark contrast to comments two months ago
Sheikh Salman’s backing comes just two months after he joined the presidents of UEFA and CONCACAF in signing a letter criticising Infantino for his plans to sell stakes in future World Cup commercial rights to private investors.
The proposal, known as the FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme, prompted the three confederations to accuse Infantino of breaking trust “through deception”.
The confederations also described the episode as “a profound failure of judgement”, adding that such conduct wasn’t what football deserved from its leadership.
However, Sheikh Salman appeared keen to draw a line under the dispute in Tokyo, acknowledging disagreements but insisting they shouldn’t define the relationship going forward.
“Yes, we had some issues, we spoke about them in the past, but let’s not relate the two things together,” he said.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of members within this continent. I know your feeling and I think your commitment is clear as well.”
Infantino’s path to re-election
The FIFA presidential election is scheduled for Rabat, Morocco, in March 2027, and candidates must declare their intention to stand by 18 November.
Infantino could face no opposition, as no rival candidates have declared their intention to run. CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani and UEFA Chief Aleksander Čeferin have both ruled themselves out of the race.
With the AFC, CAF and CONMEBOL backing Infantino, opposition to his re-election appears to be coming mostly from Europe. UEFA are yet to support the FIFA president, although the position of its 55 member associations are not necessarily the same.
UEFA’s 55 member associations hold the largest bloc of votes, followed by Africa’s 54 and Asia’s 46. CONCACAF has 35 votes, while Oceania’s OFC has 11 and South America’s CONMEBOL has 10.
