Gianni Infantino defends fourth term bid after AFC endorsement

Gianni Infantino stated on Friday that he holds the support of all 211 FIFA member associations as he prepares to seek a fourth term in office. The Swiss-Italian leader made the comments in an interview with the BBC, where he dismissed suggestions that he had considered stepping down from the presidency.

Infantino’s position strengthened significantly on Friday when Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation, formally endorsed his candidacy. Sheikh Salman declared that the Asian region was united behind Infantino for the upcoming election.

The president argued that his mandate derives from the global vote. He told the BBC that in an organization of FIFA’s size, differing viewpoints are inevitable. However, he insisted that anyone valuing democracy must respect the decisions of the vast majority of member nations.

Infantino noted that he recently returned from Tokyo, where the AFC confirmed its support, and from Cape Verde, where all African nations did the same. He said he is currently in discussions with associations across the globe to secure further endorsements.

The push for a fourth term follows the failure of the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, which sought private investment for a new entity to control commercial rights. Infantino abandoned the plan, and the controversy prompted calls for his resignation approximately three months ago. He apologized for the handling of the proposal during a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich last week, though European associations, including those from Germany and England, maintained their criticism.

The AFC’s shift in support has left European football increasingly isolated. The confederation had previously joined UEFA and CONCACAF in criticizing the FFE proposal. A divided CONCACAF and the AFC’s reversal have exposed a lack of viable alternative candidates for the presidency.

Infantino aims to secure a term that would extend his leadership until 2031. Candidates for the FIFA presidency have until November 18 to submit their nominations. During the interview, Infantino adopted a conciliatory tone, acknowledging that disagreements occur but emphasizing the need to move forward. He stated that the final decision on who leads FIFA rests with the member associations.