46 Votes Secured as Asia Endorses Gianni Infantino Re-Election Bid
Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa formally endorsed Gianni Infantino for re-election as FIFA President at the AFC Congress in Tokyo on Friday. The pledge unifies Asia’s 46 voting member associations behind the incumbent ahead of the governing body’s elective congress in Rabat in March.
Prospective challengers have until November 18 to submit their official candidacies against Infantino, who currently faces no formal opposition for a fourth term in office.
Asian Confederation Consolidates Voting Block Behind Incumbent
The public declaration marks a swift shift in political momentum following recent friction regarding the governance of world football’s governing body. Sheikh Salman had previously joined UEFA and CONCACAF leadership in opposing the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme, which aimed to sell equity stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
By securing Asia’s 46 delegates alongside existing support across Africa and South America, Infantino commands a significant majority of the 211 total FIFA member votes. UEFA holds 55 votes, Africa commands 54, CONCACAF controls 35, Oceania has 11, and CONMEBOL holds 10.
The announcement arrives as FIFA navigates a critical administrative window ahead of next month’s candidacy deadline. UEFA has separately instructed FIFA to disclose documentation regarding its decision-making processes by November 2.
“We reaffirm our full commitment, of course, to supporting you as you seek a new mandate as president,” Sheikh Salman told the congress in Tokyo. “I want to make it clear: yes, we had some issues, we spoke about them in the past, but let’s not relate the two things together.”
Reporting for this development was delivered by Dan Roan.