FIFA President Gianni Infantino Secures Support from Africa and Asia Regions

FIFA President Gianni Infantino Seeks Re-Election Support from African and Asian Regional Confederations

In a move that could bolster his re-election bid, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have pledged their support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The two regional confederations announced their backing in statements released on Thursday.

According to CAF, its members “unanimously agreed” to support Infantino if he stands for re-election as FIFA president in 2027. AFC President Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa also expressed his organization’s continued and full support for Infantino, stating that the Asian Football Confederation has always supported him since his election in 2016.

The African and Asian confederations hold a combined total of 101 votes in the upcoming presidential election, with Infantino already securing support from South American football’s governing body, CONMEBOL. FIFA statutes permit presidents to serve up to three terms, but Infantino is eligible for re-election next year due to a ruling that his partial term from 2016-2019 does not count towards the total.

Infantino has faced controversy during his tenure, including criticism over his close ties to United States President Donald Trump and initiatives such as expanding the World Cup to 48 teams. However, he has also overseen record revenues for FIFA, with this year’s World Cup expected to generate an estimated $13 billion. The organization has increased funding distribution to its member associations through the FIFA Forward Program, with a pledge of $2.7 billion in the cycle from 2027 to 2030 – an eight-fold increase compared to 10 years ago.

Source: Al Jazeera