AFC reverses stance and backs Gianni Infantino for fourth FIFA term
The Asian Football Confederation on Friday at an extraordinary congress in Tokyo announced it would support Gianni Infantino’s bid for a fourth term as FIFA president, a reversal of its stance from two months earlier when it accused FIFA leadership of a “fundamental breach of trust”. AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa made the endorsement in Tokyo, giving Infantino a boost ahead of the March 2027 presidential election.
The endorsement follows a fallout over FIFA’s abandoned plan to create a new commercial company and sell a minority stake, a proposal that had drawn criticism from several confederations. In August the AFC joined UEFA and CONCACAF in criticising the proposal, citing concerns about governance, transparency and a lack of consultation with FIFA’s member associations. Infantino has already received backing from CONMEBOL and the Confederation of African Football, whose executive committee unanimously endorsed him in August, while 22 Arab associations, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have declared support.
Addressing Infantino at the Tokyo meeting, Sheikh Salman said the confederation and FIFA were prepared to move on from recent disagreements and voiced the AFC’s commitment directly: “We affirm our full commitment to supporting you and your leadership as you seek a new mandate as the FIFA president,” he said. Sheikh Salman acknowledged past tensions between the two leaders but told Infantino, “Gianni, I want to make it clear, yes, we had some issues we spoke about in the past. But let's not relate the two things together.” He added: “The past I'm sure is part of our history. We've all, I'm sure, learned important lessons from it. What matters now is how we move forward together.”
Infantino apologised last week to the FIFA Council for mistakes in the handling of the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, which envisaged creating a separate commercial entity and selling a 20 per cent stake to private investors that could have raised $4.2 billion. The proposal was withdrawn in July after widespread criticism, including concerns about the involvement of investors with links to US President Donald Trump's family. FIFA has committed to reviewing its governance framework through a working group made up of representatives from across the confederations.
Despite the apology and the AFC’s new position, the controversy has continued in Europe, where UEFA has demanded answers to 42 questions covering 12 areas related to the abandoned venture and broader governance issues. European officials said the apology did not provide the clarity they were seeking, while FIFA has said it intends to address the matters through its internal processes.
Infantino has led FIFA since 2016 and is seeking another four-year mandate that would extend his presidency until 2031. The AFC’s endorsement is significant because the confederation comprises 47 member associations and their voting power, and the support from Asia, Africa and South America gives Infantino backing across several major voting blocs even as opposition remains in Europe and parts of North and Central America.
The presidential election is scheduled for March 2027, with November 18 the deadline for rival candidates to submit their nominations, placing the AFC decision squarely in the run-up to that vote.
