FIFA President Gianni Infantino has received a major boost in his bid for re-election after the head of the Asian Football Confederation, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, endorsed his campaign for a new mandate.
Sheikh Salman announced his support at the confederation’s Congress in Tokyo, which Infantino attended, reaffirming Asia’s commitment to backing the FIFA president.
“We reaffirm our full commitment, of course, to supporting you as you seek a new mandate as president,” Sheikh Salman said.
The endorsement marks a significant reversal from two months ago, when Sheikh Salman joined the heads of UEFA and CONCACAF in criticising Infantino over his failed proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
The three confederations had accused Infantino of breaking trust “through deception” over the FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme, describing the proposal as a failure of judgement and questioning his leadership.
However, Sheikh Salman told delegates in Japan that it was time to move forward, stressing the need for unity within Asian football.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of members within this continent. I know your feeling and I think your commitment is clear as well. Your support to Gianni is very clear,” he said.
He added that although there had been disagreements in the past, the issues should not be linked to the current re-election bid.
“As one Asian family, we are ready to move forward, united in your support, Gianni,” Sheikh Salman said.
The endorsement could strengthen Infantino’s chances of securing a fourth and final term, alongside his established support base in Africa and South America.
At the election scheduled to take place in Rabat in March, UEFA will have 55 votes, Africa 54, Asia 46, CONCACAF 35, Oceania 11 and CONMEBOL 10.
The deadline for candidates to confirm their intention to challenge Infantino is November 18. No rival candidates have filed so far, raising the possibility that he could stand unopposed.
Potential challengers, including CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani and UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin, have indicated they are not contenders.
Speaking to delegates, Infantino praised Sheikh Salman’s leadership of the Asian Football Confederation and reaffirmed FIFA’s support for their partnership.
Asked about the endorsement later, Infantino said he felt great about the Asian confederation’s support.
The development follows a FIFA Council meeting last week at which Infantino apologised for his World Cup investment proposal but did not provide a full explanation of how it was developed.
He also proposed increasing global football development funding by 3.4 billion dollars.
UEFA has since given FIFA until November 2 to release key documents and answer questions concerning its governance and decision-making.
Boluwatife Enome
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