Asian Football Endorses Infantino’s FIFA Re-election in U-Turn

The Asian Football Confederation will back Gianni Infantino for another term as FIFA president, its head, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, said Friday at an extraordinary congress in Tokyo. The support is a sharp reversal. Just over two months ago, the AFC joined European and North and Central American football bodies in accusing Infantino of a “fundamental breach of trust.”

The AFC has 47 members. Sheikh Salman said most of them share his view, though he indicated not all will follow. The FIFA election is in March, and the deadline for candidates to file against Infantino is November 18. No one has filed yet. Infantino apologised last week in Zurich to FIFA’s 37-member council for “mistakes” in assembling a scrapped $4.2 billion plan to sell a stake in FIFA events, including the World Cup, to private investors.

Sheikh Salman acknowledged “some issues” in the past but said they should not be linked to the endorsement. Infantino admitted errors in light remarks, then drew his biggest applause by saying each member would receive $25 million from January 1 next year, up from $1 million every four years.

The AFC endorsement of Infantino matters because Asia’s votes could be key to a fourth term. The timing suggests money is a major factor. FIFA’s media office has promoted his travels to seek votes in exchange for millions more in support, and the payment jump to $25 million is a powerful incentive. Sheikh Salman skipped the details of the earlier dispute, and he said answers on the failed investment plan would come later. Those questions remain open.

The first test is whether other confederations follow the AFC after its reversal. Watch the November 18 deadline to see if any challenger enters the race. The March vote will show how many of the 47 AFC members back Infantino and whether the investment-plan questions return.