On Friday, 23 October, the Asian Football Confederation endorsed Infantino for a fourth term, after co-signing an open letter with UEFA and Concacaf about deception two months earlier.
UEFA sent 42 questions to FIFA in the week of 19 October, with a 2 November deadline, covering conflicts of interest tied to the family of US President Donald Trump.
The FFE plan, valued at 4.2 billion dollars, has been abandoned, and Infantino apologised to the 37-member FIFA Council in October for mistakes in developing it.
Candidates must declare by 18 November for the March 2027 election in Rabat, Morocco, and no challenger has declared yet.
On Friday, 23 October, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) pledged its full support to Gianni Infantino's bid for a fourth term as FIFA president. The declaration came at a congress in Tokyo, where AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa addressed Infantino directly. On Thursday, Salman had kept his distance, telling Asian delegates that the group was neither against anyone nor for anyone. The shift is sharp because the AFC had signed an open letter with UEFA and Concacaf accusing Infantino of breaking trust through deception. Salman acknowledged earlier disagreements but said recent days had shown considerable mutual trust.
Infantino's position weakened after he proposed selling stakes in World Cup commercial rights to private investors under the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan, a proposal valued at 4.2 billion dollars. The plan has since been dropped, and Infantino apologised to FIFA's 37-member council in October for mistakes made while developing it. European delegates left that council meeting disappointed, saying the explanation lacked clarity. The fallout reached the continental federations, and UEFA and Concacaf are openly opposed to Infantino, wanting him to leave his post.
In the week of 19 October, UEFA sent FIFA a list of 42 questions. They cover possible conflicts of interest linked to business dealings with the family of US President Donald Trump and the attempt to sell World Cup stakes to private investors. UEFA set 2 November as the deadline for answers, and its general secretary Theodoros Theodoridis has argued that FIFA has not yet answered a series of fundamental questions. Infantino said FIFA is working on the questions and will answer all of them as far as procedure allows and as far as it is able.
Speaking to the BBC in an interview released on Saturday, Infantino said he has the backing of the 'vast, vast majority' of football. He pointed to his election by member associations and said he had recently visited Cape Verde, where African countries had endorsed him. He argued that differing views are normal in an organisation like FIFA.
“Well you know I was elected by 211 member associations from all over the world.”
Japan's football federation president, Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, has said Japan has not yet decided its position. Jordan opposes Infantino, as do UEFA and Concacaf, while Infantino says the African group is behind him.
The election is set for March 2027 in Rabat, Morocco, and candidates have until 18 November to come forward. No challenger has declared so far. The AFC endorsement does not automatically deliver its 46 votes, because the Northern Mariana Islands do not vote. Bookmakers give Infantino an 80% chance of re-election, and he was first elected on 6 February 2016.
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The Asian Football Confederation endorsed FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Friday, 23 October, reversing its stance from two months earlier. UEFA has sent him 42 questions with a 2 November deadline, and candidates have until 18 November to declare.
AI text based on reports by La Repubblica.it, N-tv, AD.nl and other publishers. Published . How it is made