Sheikh Salman Keeps AFC Stance on Infantino’s Fourth FIFA Term Open
Asian football’s position in Gianni Infantino’s bid for a fourth term as FIFA president remains unresolved after AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa declined to signal either collective support or opposition at meetings in Tokyo. With 47 member associations, the Asian Football Confederation could hold decisive weight ahead of the March election.
Asia remains a potential deciding bloc
Infantino has encountered substantial resistance in Europe while retaining strong backing across Africa, leaving Asia as a potentially pivotal voting region. No challenger had formally entered the contest, with the deadline for candidates set for Nov. 18.
Sheikh Salman used his closing remarks after the AFC’s two-day Tokyo gathering to stress unity, saying attempts to create divisions within the confederation would not succeed. He did not, however, commit the AFC to a shared position on the FIFA presidency.
He said the confederation was not aligned against or behind any individual, adding that its members would seek what they considered right for football beyond Asia as well as within the region.
That more neutral tone marked a shift from the stance taken a little more than two months earlier, when the AFC joined governing bodies from Europe and North and Central America in accusing Infantino of a fundamental breach of trust.
Individual Asian positions are already divided. Qatar, which staged the 2022 World Cup, has backed Infantino, while Jordan has publicly opposed him.
- More than two months before the Tokyo meetings, the AFC joined other confederations in criticising Infantino over trust concerns.
- Last week, Infantino apologised to FIFA’s 37-member ruling council for mistakes in developing a subsequently abandoned $4.2 billion World Cup commercial sell-off proposal.
- During the Tokyo session, Sheikh Salman avoided declaring an AFC-wide voting position for March.
- Candidates have until Nov. 18 to enter the FIFA presidential election, with no opponent yet registered.
Infantino continues outreach among one-vote federations
Infantino did not make a public appearance at the Tokyo seminars, though he has continued travelling in Asia during the election period. FIFA highlighted visits to Bhutan and Bangladesh, associations whose single votes carry the same formal value as those of major European football nations such as Spain and France.
Meetings in Tokyo, held at a five-star hotel, were not open to reporters. The AFC instead broadcast conference material through its YouTube channel, featuring managed presentations rather than open media access.
Public declarations and regional endorsements have indicated support for Infantino from 87 of FIFA’s 211 member federations. The eventual direction of Asian votes could therefore be significant if opposition candidates emerge before the nomination deadline.
| Election figure | Detail |
|---|---|
| AFC member associations | 47 |
| FIFA member federations | 211 |
| Federations indicating support for Infantino | 87 |
| FIFA ruling council membership | 37 |
| Abandoned World Cup proposal | $4.2 billion |
Saudi Arabia maintains Asian Cup plans
Sheikh Salman also acknowledged that political and economic developments, particularly events in the Middle East, were affecting football in the region. He said the changing global situation was important to Asian football followers.
Saudi Arabia’s Asian Cup organisers said the tournament would proceed despite deadly attacks in the country by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels and mounting concern about a wider escalation in hostilities.
The 24-team competition is scheduled to run from Jan. 7 to Feb. 5 across Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar. With the event approaching, reports have suggested that moving it elsewhere may no longer be realistic.
Muhammed Q. Alghamdi, speaking for the organising committee, said officials were tracking regional developments and working alongside the AFC to deliver the tournament. He said ordinary daily activity was continuing in Saudi Arabia and insisted organisers would be prepared.
Key takeaways
- The AFC has not declared a collective position on Infantino’s March reelection attempt.
- Asia’s 47 votes may be crucial amid differing levels of support in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
- No candidate had lodged a challenge by the time of the Tokyo meetings; the filing deadline is Nov. 18.
- Saudi Arabia remains committed to staging the Asian Cup from Jan. 7 to Feb. 5 despite regional security concerns.
