Asian Football executes U-turn to endorse Infantino for fourth FIFA term

In a major turn of events, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has formally endorsed FIFA President Gianni Infantino for a fourth term ahead of the governing body’s upcoming presidential election in March, according to a report by Al Jazeera.

Speaking at the AFC’s extraordinary congress in Tokyo, AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa embraced Infantino and confirmed the 47-nation body’s commitment to supporting his leadership.

The endorsement marks an abrupt about-face for the AFC, which had previously criticized Infantino alongside European and North American football officials over a controversial, now-scrapped $4.2 billion private investment proposal.​

Infantino acknowledged past missteps, expressing gratitude for Asia’s backing while highlighting a significant boost in member funding under his tenure—promising distributions will reach $25 million per nation by next year. With no opponent yet filing before the November 18 deadline, Asia’s support crucial to securing Infantino’s mandate.