AFC chief Salman backs Infantino for FIFA re-election

At an extraordinary congress of the Asian Football Confederation in Tokyo, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa delivered the most concrete sign yet that Gianni Infantino’s reelection as FIFA president is consolidating support: a public, full-throated endorsement from the head of the world body’s largest confederation. Speaking Friday in front of Infantino himself, the AFC president said his organization reaffirms its “total commitment” to supporting the FIFA chief’s leadership as he seeks a new mandate at the world governing body’s congress in March.

The endorsement matters because of who Sheikh Salman once was on the other side. Three months ago, after Infantino’s long-kept-secret plan to open the World Cup to private capital collapsed in July, the Bahraini joined the presidents of UEFA and CONCACAF in signing an open letter criticizing the FIFA president’s conduct. Now, with the AFC’s 47 member federations behind him alongside African support, Infantino’s path to a second full term — one that would keep the 56-year-old in office until 2031 — looks substantially clearer.

From open letter to public embrace in Tokyo

The shift played out in plain view at the AFC’s extraordinary congress. Infantino attended the meeting, and Sheikh Salman addressed him directly, acknowledging their past disagreements while drawing a line under them. “Yes, we have had some differences that we have talked about in the past, but let’s not mix those things up,” Sheikh Salman said. “We must move forward, and we are convinced football is stronger when we work together, driven by a common vision and a common goal.”

Infantino had apologized for his handling of the FIFA Forward Enterprise project, the plan to bundle World Cup television rights and tournament sponsorship to raise billions of dollars from private investors. He has since said he is abandoning the project and has no intention of pursuing it.

The mutual-support exchange

The Tokyo meeting also produced a reciprocal endorsement. Infantino backed Sheikh Salman for a fourth term at the AFC next year, telling him he had done “a fantastic job” over 13 years and promising his “total support” for however many more years the Bahraini seeks. The two leaders have a practical stake in each other: Sheikh Salman’s confederation is a central pillar of Infantino’s voting bloc, and the AFC chief’s own reelection depends on similar coalition-building.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar have already publicly declared their support for Infantino. Japan’s football federation president, Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, said Friday that his federation wants to align with the AFC’s position, though no formal decision has been taken. He noted that not all 47 AFC member federations share the same view, but added that Infantino’s abandonment of the private-capital project and his apology had been taken seriously.

UEFA’s 42 questions still hang over the race

Not every confederation is on board. UEFA this week sent FIFA an eight-page letter containing 42 questions that Infantino must answer by November 2, covering decisions including the FIFA Peace Prize awarded to Donald Trump without consulting the FIFA Council, and the suspension of American player Folarin Balogun’s red card at the U.S. president’s request.

The arithmetic of the March congress

If reelected, Infantino would serve a final term running until 2031. Potential challengers must file their candidacies before November 18, and at least one name is already circulating: former Swiss international Ramon Vega, who is waiting on the required sponsorships to enter the race. With the Asian and African blocs aligned behind him, plus Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the incumbent enters the March congress with the kind of delegate arithmetic that has historically made FIFA presidential challenges difficult to sustain.

The next dated checkpoint on the calendar is November 2, the deadline for Infantino to respond to UEFA’s 42 questions, followed by the November 18 candidacy deadline that will show whether any opponent can assemble enough support to force a contested vote in March.