Gianni Infantino has won the public backing of Asia for another term as FIFA president, with AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa endorsing his re-election bid in Tokyo on Friday — just two months after describing Infantino's plan to sell a stake in FIFA tournaments as a "breach of trust".
The reversal, reported by Reuters, was delivered in person at the AFC's extraordinary congress, with Infantino present in the room. It removes one of the most vocal critics of the summer from the opposition column and, with Africa already behind him, makes the electoral maths for any challenger look brutally difficult.
From open letter to open endorsement
In July, Infantino faced calls to resign over his attempt to bring private investors into a new commercial entity — FIFA Forward Enterprise — holding rights linked to competitions including the World Cup. Sheikh Salman joined the presidents of UEFA and CONCACAF in penning an open letter criticising the FIFA president's conduct.
Infantino withdrew the proposal and apologised over its handling at a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich this month. In Tokyo, Sheikh Salman said those differences had been ironed out.
"I think that we reaffirm our full commitment, of course, to supporting you and your leadership as you seek a new mandate as a FIFA president," he said, in comments directed at Infantino. "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."
"We need to move forward," he added. "As one Asian family we are ready to move forward, united in your support Gianni."
USA TODAY, reporting the Associated Press account of the congress, noted that Infantino's attempts to make amends in Zurich appear to have worked with the AFC president, who also pointed to Infantino's frequent visits to the region — including a trip to Indonesia earlier this month to present the trophy at FIFA's first ASEAN Cup.
A mutual endorsement in Tokyo
The support flowed both ways. Infantino, 56, backed Sheikh Salman — who is himself seeking a fourth term as AFC president next year — for another term in charge of Asian football.
"You've been doing a fantastic job in AFC in the last 13 years, my dear Salman," Infantino said. "You will do fantastically as well for the next how many years you want. And always, always with my full support."
Asked later about the endorsement, Infantino said: "I feel great about the AFC's support."
Several key AFC members, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have already publicly declared their support for Infantino. Japan Football Association president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto struck a more cautious note on Friday, telling reporters the association was looking to align with the AFC but had not made a decision, and that he was unsure whether all 47 AFC members were united behind the Swiss-Italian administrator.
So What Does It Mean?
The numbers are the story. The AFC has 47 member associations and CAF has 54. Between them, that is 101 votes in a FIFA electorate of 211 — before a single European, North American or South American ballot is counted. USA TODAY pointed out that with both blocs publicly behind Infantino, the path to a majority for any rival becomes extremely narrow.
Infantino, in office since 2016, is seeking a fourth term running until 2031 at the election in March 2027, to be held at the 77th FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco. Potential challengers must submit their candidacies by 18 November and prove support from five member associations. So far, according to USA TODAY, only former Switzerland international Ramon Vega has declared an intent to oppose Infantino, and he has not shown the required backing.
Europe, crucially, has not folded. UEFA has sent FIFA a letter seeking answers about Infantino's presidency, including questions over the FFE project and the FIFA Peace Prize — the stand-off BTFW covered in its UEFA report — and Reuters said it had contacted UEFA for a response to the AFC president's comments. The contrast is stark: Asia and Africa closing ranks, Europe still asking questions, and a November deadline for anyone willing to stand against the incumbent.
The money question has not gone away either. The FFE plan followed FIFA's announcement of a huge development fund for its member associations — a reminder that control of FIFA's commercial future, not personality, is what this fight has always been about.
Beyond the Final Whistle: An apology in Zurich has bought Infantino Asia, and Asia plus Africa is close to an election won before a challenger has even filed. That is not a vindication of the FFE plan — it is a demonstration of how FIFA power actually works: withdraw the proposal, tour the confederations, collect the endorsements, and let the 18 November deadline pass quietly. Unless UEFA turns its questions into a candidate, March 2027 in Rabat is a coronation, not a contest. Do you think Infantino deserves a fourth term until 2031, or should a challenger stand against him?
