Asian Football Confederation backs Infantino’s FIFA reelection bid

By Halis Sunnetci

ISTANBUL (AA) - Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa on Friday pledged the governing body’s support for Gianni Infantino’s reelection bid as FIFA president, signaling a reconciliation following their recent dispute over a controversial commercial project.

Speaking at the AFC’s extraordinary congress in Tokyo, where Infantino was also present, the Bahraini official said the two had reached an understanding following recent discussions in Zurich.

“I think that we reaffirm our full commitment, of course, to supporting you and your leadership as you seek a new mandate as a FIFA president,” Sheikh Salman said.

“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,” he added.

In August, Sheikh Salman joined the heads of UEFA and CONCACAF in criticizing Infantino’s proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project, which sought to bring private investors into a commercial entity holding rights linked to FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.

The three confederation presidents described the proposal as a “fundamental breach of trust.”

The project was subsequently abandoned, with Infantino apologizing for mistakes in its communication and consultation process at a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich on Oct. 15.

Sheikh Salman said the two sides had since reached an understanding and were ready to move forward.

“We need to move forward. And we believe football is strongest when we work together with a shared vision and a common purpose,” he said.

Infantino, in turn, expressed support for Sheikh Salman, who is seeking a fourth term as AFC president next year.

“You’ve been doing a fantastic job in AFC in the last 13 years, my dear Salman,” Infantino said.

“You will do fantastically as well for the next how many years you want. And always, always with my full support, with the partnership of FIFA,” he added.

Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, is seeking another term in the presidential election scheduled for March 2027.

Halis Sünnetci