The Asian Football Confederation formally endorsed Gianni Infantino for a fourth term as FIFA president on Friday, delivering the Swiss administrator a powerful bloc of 47 votes ahead of the March election.
Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the AFC president, made the announcement at the body's extraordinary congress in Tokyo, embracing Infantino in front of the assembled membership in a scene that signaled the end of a brief but sharp rift within world football's governing family,
A hug in Tokyo that settled a feud
Just over two months ago, the AFC had joined the confederations of Europe and of North and Central America in accusing Infantino of a fundamental breach of trust, a rare public rupture at the summit of the world game. On Friday, that language was gone, replaced by warm words and an even warmer embrace.
Sheikh Salman acknowledged the dispute in his speech but refused to dwell on it.
Gianni, 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. I think the last few days we met in Zurich, you made it clear that there's a true understanding between us.
The reconciliation followed Infantino's apology in Zurich to FIFA's 37-member ruling council for what he called mistakes in assembling a now-scrapped $4.2 billion plan for the World Cup. The apology, delivered last week before the council he chairs, appears to have done its work.
Why the AFC endorsement matters for the FIFA election
The arithmetic is simple and, for any challenger, sobering. The AFC counts 47 member federations, and even if not every member follows Sheikh Salman's direction, the bloc's weight could effectively guarantee Infantino another mandate.
The FIFA election is scheduled for March, and the deadline for rival candidates to file against Infantino is Nov. 18. So far, according to the
My feeling is, I'm sure, the feeling of most of my members. And I've said that to you.
Infantino has spent months touring the globe, and FIFA's media office has promoted those travels extensively. His pitch to member federations rests heavily on money, and he did not shy away from that record in Tokyo.
Before I started as FIFA president, each of you was receiving $1 million US dollars every four years. As of the first of January of next year, it will be $25 million US dollars.
That pledge, a twenty-fivefold increase in direct distributions to federations, drew the loudest applause of his address. Sheikh Salman joked that Infantino must have a clone to have visited so many countries, a line that drew laughter from the hall.
An about-face two months in the making
The speed of the reversal has drawn attention across the football world. In the summer, the AFC stood shoulder to shoulder with UEFA and CONCACAF in condemning Infantino's conduct; by October, Sheikh Salman stood on a Tokyo stage declaring Asia's unity behind him.
Sheikh Salman framed the past as a closed chapter.
The past, I'm sure, is part of our history. We've all, I'm sure, learned important lessons from it. What matters now is how we move forward together.
Infantino, for his part, kept his remarks light but conceded that errors had occurred.
When you do many things, you do, hopefully, as we did, many good things, and you do some mistakes as well. The important thing is to learn, to learn always from the experience, from the mistakes, to apologize, to move ahead, to come together, to unite, to build for our future, for your future.
He closed, as Sheikh Salman had, on a note of unity: As one Asian family, we are ready to move forward, united in your support, Gianni.
What happens before the FIFA vote in March
The path to the March election now runs largely through Zurich's administrative corridors rather than through any genuine contest. Unless a challenger emerges before Nov. 18, Infantino will stand effectively unopposed for a fourth term, extending a presidency that began in 2016.
For the national federations of Africa, Asia and the Americas, the calculation is increasingly financial. The promise of $25 million per four-year cycle, announced from the Tokyo podium, gives every voting member a direct and personal stake in the status quo.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the next FIFA presidential election?
The election is scheduled for March 2026, with Nov. 18 set as the deadline for candidates to register. No challenger to Gianni Infantino has yet filed.
Why did the AFC previously criticize Infantino?
The AFC, alongside the European and North and Central American confederations, had accused Infantino of a fundamental breach of trust over his handling of a scrapped $4.2 billion World Cup financing plan. Infantino apologized for his mistakes before FIFA's ruling council in Zurich last week.
How many votes does the AFC control?
The Asian Football Confederation holds 47 member federations, a bloc large enough that its endorsement is widely seen as decisive for Infantino's re-election prospects.