October 23, 2026
The Asian Football Confederation announced its official support for Gianni Infantino in his endeavor to win a new term as head of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), in a move that would enhance the chances of the Swiss-Italian official ahead of the upcoming elections.
This announcement was made by the President of the Asian Confederation, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, during a meeting held in the Japanese capital, Tokyo, in the presence of Infantino. Sheikh Salman said: “We renew our full commitment to supporting you and your leadership, as you seek a new term as FIFA President,” noting that his consultations with officials of football federations on the continent resulted in a consensus in support of his candidacy.
This position comes to turn the page on previous disputes that arose between the two parties against the backdrop of a project to establish a commercial company affiliated with FIFA that would open the door to private sector investments. The Asian Confederation had previously opposed this project – along with the European Union (UEFA) and the Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) – before it was later abandoned.
Despite the Asian Confederation’s call at an earlier stage for Infantino’s resignation, the tendencies of the Asian national federations gradually tended towards supporting him, so Sheikh Salman’s announcement was decisive in confirming the continent’s support for him. Commenting on the past disagreements, the AFC President said: “Gianni, yes, we had disagreements in the past, but we have to move forward. Football is stronger when we work together.”
