Asian Football Confederation Endorses Gianni Infantino for FIFA Presidency

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has unexpectedly endorsed Gianni Infantino for another term as FIFA president. The decision was announced at an extraordinary congress in Tokyo on Friday.

The AFC's endorsement is significant because it could potentially sway the votes of its 47 member confederations, which would be crucial in guaranteeing Infantino's re-election. However, not all members may follow the direction set by Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the head of the AFC.

Infantino, who has been seeking a fourth term as FIFA president, is facing no opposition so far. The deadline for candidates to file against him is November 18, but none have done so yet. The FIFA election is scheduled to take place in March.

Sheikh Salman's endorsement of Infantino was made public with a show of support at the Tokyo congress. He greeted Infantino warmly, embracing him in front of the membership and expressing his commitment to supporting the FIFA president.

The AFC's sudden shift in stance on Infantino's re-election comes after a period of tension between the two football governing bodies.

Sheikh Salman acknowledged that not all AFC members would agree with the endorsement, but expressed confidence that most would support it.

He made these remarks as he addressed Infantino directly, saying his own feeling was shared by many of his members.

In contrast to this new stance, just over two months ago the AFC joined other governing bodies in criticizing Infantino's handling of a proposed $4.2bn plan to sell stakes in FIFA events.

Infantino had apologized for "mistakes made in assembling the now-scrapped plan during a recent meeting with FIFA's ruling council, which he chairs.

The AFC president glossed over any details regarding past disagreements when referencing these issues in his speech.

Sheikh Salman instead chose to focus on a more positive note, saying that Infantino had clarified their understanding of each other during their recent meeting in Zurich.

Sheikh Salman emphasized that past controversies surrounding Infantino's re-election bid were now a thing of the past, and it was time for the football community to move forward together.

This sentiment was echoed by FIFA's media office, which has been actively promoting Infantino's travels around the world in an effort to garner votes from various countries. In exchange for their support, these nations can expect significant financial backing from FIFA to develop their local football programs.

Infantino's extensive travel schedule has left many wondering how he manages to visit almost every country on the globe. Sheikh Salman playfully suggested that Infantino might have a clone who is accompanying him on his travels, prompting a laugh from the audience.

Sheikh Salman's comments were met with applause, and he reiterated his support for Infantino's re-election bid in front of the gathered crowd.

Infantino took to the podium after Sheikh Salman's speech and delivered a lighthearted address that acknowledged some mistakes.

In his remarks, Infantino reflected on FIFA's accomplishments under his leadership, while also emphasizing the importance of learning from past errors. When you do many things, you do, hopefully, as we did, many good things, you do some mistakes as well," he said.