Asian Football Confederation Backs Gianni Infantino for Fourth FIFA Term

Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa confirmed the AFC's commitment to Gianni Infantino during an extraordinary congress meeting in Tokyo on Friday.

TOKYO — The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) officially endorsed Gianni Infantino for a fourth term as FIFA president during an extraordinary congress meeting on Friday. AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa announced the commitment to the 47 member confederations, potentially securing a significant voting bloc for the upcoming election in March. Candidates have until a November 18 deadline to file against the incumbent, though no challengers have entered the race to date.

This endorsement follows a period of friction where the AFC, alongside governing bodies from Europe and North America, previously cited a "fundamental breach of trust" by Infantino. The tension stemmed from a now-cancelled $4.2 billion World Cup plan, an issue for which Infantino apologized to the 37-member FIFA ruling council in Zurich last week. Sheikh Salman noted that while past issues existed, recent meetings in Zurich established a new understanding between the leadership of the two organizations.

Infantino, who chairs the FIFA ruling council, received a public embrace from Sheikh Salman following the announcement. The AFC head credited Infantino’s frequent visits to Asian nations and his clear commitment to the continent as primary reasons for the shift in support. The governing body now aims to move forward collectively despite the previous disputes regarding the scrapped tournament financial strategy.