{"id":2887,"date":"2026-10-23T08:36:49","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T08:36:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/2026\/10\/23\/infantino-gets-asian-support-re-election\/"},"modified":"2026-10-23T08:36:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T08:36:49","slug":"infantino-gets-asian-support-re-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/2026\/10\/23\/infantino-gets-asian-support-re-election\/","title":{"rendered":"AFC chief backs Infantino, strengthening his bid for FIFA presidency"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!-- Quick Adsense WordPress Plugin: http:\/\/quickadsense.com\/ -->\n<div class=\"9fece8afa224fd09e54b043d0febfb58\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- NR ATF -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8898941184964366\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"4839033563\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>Gianni Infantino\u2019s campaign for a fourth and final term as FIFA president received a decisive lift this week when Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al\u202fKhalifa, the head of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), publicly reaffirmed his backing. Speaking to the AFC Congress in Tokyo \u2013 an event that Infantino attended \u2013 the Asian chief declared the continent\u2019s \u201cfull commitment\u201d to supporting the incumbent as he seeks a new mandate.<\/p>\n<h2>From criticism to endorsement<\/h2>\n<p>The endorsement marks a stark reversal from a joint statement issued just two months earlier. At that time, Sheikh Salman signed a letter alongside the presidents of UEFA and CONCACAF, condemning Infantino\u2019s aborted plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. The three confederations accused the FIFA president of breaching trust \u201cthrough deception\u201d in relation to the FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme, describing the episode as \u201ca profound failure of judgement\u201d unfit for football leadership.<\/p>\n<p>During the Tokyo meeting, Sheikh Salman signaled a change in tone, urging the football community to \u201cmove forward.\u201d He told delegates, \u201cI have spoken with many members across the continent. I understand their feelings, and their commitment is clear. Their support for Gianni is very clear.\u201d He added that, while past issues had been discussed, they should not be conflated with the current agenda, emphasizing unity within the Asian football family.<\/p>\n<h2>Implications for the March election<\/h2>\n<p>Infantino\u2019s support base has traditionally rested on strong alliances in Africa and South America. The AFC\u2019s endorsement could prove pivotal as the voting body prepares for the election slated for March in Rabat, Morocco. The allocation of votes stands at 55 for UEFA, 54 for Africa, 46 for Asia, 35 for CONCACAF, 11 for Oceania and 10 for CONMEBOL. With the deadline for challenger nominations set for 18\u202fNovember, no opponents have yet filed, leaving the possibility that Infantino could run unopposed.<\/p>\n<p>Potential rivals, including CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani and UEFA chief Aleksander\u202fCeferin, have already indicated they will not contest the race. Their withdrawal further consolidates Infantino\u2019s position, making the AFC\u2019s backing a critical factor in securing the majority of the 46 Asian votes.<\/p>\n<h2>Personal exchanges and future promises<\/h2>\n<p>In a brief address to AFC delegates, Infantino praised Sheikh Salman\u2019s 13\u2011year tenure, describing his work as \u201cfantastic.\u201d He promised continued collaboration, stating, \u201cYou will continue to do fantastically for however many years you choose, always with my full support and the partnership of FIFA.\u201d When later asked about the Asian chief\u2019s comments, Infantino responded, \u201cI feel great about the AFC\u2019s support.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Beyond the political maneuvering, Infantino used a recent FIFA Council meeting to apologize for the failed World Cup sell\u2011off plan, though he stopped short of providing a full accounting of how the proposal originated. He also announced a proposal to increase global football development funding by $3.4\u202fbillion (approximately \u00a32.6\u202fbillion), a move that could further cement goodwill among member associations.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, UEFA has pressed FIFA for greater transparency, demanding that the organization release key documents and answer all governance\u2011related questions by 2\u202fNovember. The request underscores lingering tensions over the Forward Enterprise scheme and the broader issue of decision\u2011making within the sport\u2019s global governing body.<\/p>\n<p>As the election draws nearer, the AFC\u2019s shift from criticism to endorsement illustrates the fluid nature of football politics. Whether the promised development funds and renewed alliances will translate into a decisive vote remains to be seen, but the Asian confederation\u2019s public support undeniably strengthens Infantino\u2019s bid for another term at the helm of world football.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman reaffirmed support for Gianni Infantino, marking a sharp reversal from earlier criticism and bolstering the incumbent\u2019s re\u2011election prospects.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2888,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[299],"tags":[3220,3218,3221,3219,1864],"class_list":["post-2887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-afc","tag-fifa","tag-football-governance","tag-gianni-infantino","tag-world-cup","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2887"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2887\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}