FIFA: FIFA president Gianni Infantino
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has pledged its support for Gianni Infantino’s bid for re-election as FIFA president, giving the incumbent a significant boost ahead of the election scheduled for March in Rabat, Morocco.
AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa announced the confederation’s backing during its Congress in Tokyo, Japan, which was attended by Infantino.
As reported by BBC Sport on Friday, Khalifa said, “We reaffirm our full commitment, of course, to supporting you as you seek a new mandate as president.”
The endorsement marks a change in position for Sheikh Salman, who two months ago joined the heads of UEFA and Concacaf in signing a joint letter criticising Infantino over his proposed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
The three confederations accused Infantino of breaking trust “through deception” over the FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme, describing the proposal as “a profound failure of judgement” and insisting that “these are not the qualities football deserves in its leadership.”
However, Sheikh Salman has now called for unity and urged members to move beyond the disagreement.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Infantino welcomed the endorsement, expressing satisfaction with the support from the Asian confederation.
“I feel great about the AFC’s support,” the FIFA president said when asked about Sheikh Salman’s comments.
He also praised Sheikh Salman’s leadership of the AFC, saying: “You’ve been doing a fantastic job in AFC in the last 13 years, my dear Salman.
“You will do fantastically as well for the next how many years you want. And always, always with my full support, with the partnership of FIFA, because we have seen what we have been doing in the last years.”
The AFC’s backing adds to Infantino’s support base in Africa and South America as he seeks another term at the head of world football’s governing body.
At the March election, UEFA will have 55 votes, Africa 54, Asia 46, Concacaf 35, Oceania 11 and South America’s CONMEBOL 10.
Candidates intending to challenge Infantino must confirm their participation by November 18. However, no rival has filed a candidacy so far, raising the possibility that the incumbent could stand unopposed.
Potential challengers, including Concacaf president Victor Montagliani and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, have indicated that they are not seeking to contest the election.
Infantino’s re-election campaign has faced scrutiny following the controversy surrounding his proposed World Cup investment scheme.
At a meeting of the FIFA Council last week, he apologised for the proposal but did not provide a full explanation of how it had been developed.
He also proposed increasing funding for football development around the world by $3.4 billion (£2.6 billion).
UEFA has subsequently given FIFA until November 2 to release key documents and answer questions concerning its governance and decision-making processes.
Despite the unresolved concerns, Sheikh Salman’s endorsement signals the AFC’s intention to support Infantino as the election approaches.