Saturday, May 2, 2026 -FIFA President Gianni Infantino has received a significant boost to his re-election bid after securing backing from two of football’s most influential regional bodies, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Both organizations confirmed their support on Thursday,
April 30, the same day Infantino announced at FIFA’s Congress in Vancouver that
he will run for another term in 2027. CAF said it had “unanimously agreed” to
back Infantino, while the AFC also pledged its continued support.
“FIFA is in its best position ever and we offer our
continued and full support to (Infantino) as a candidate for FIFA President for
the term 2027-2031, just as the AFC and Asian football has always supported him
since his election in 2016,” AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa
said in a statement.
Together, the African and Asian confederations control 101
votes out of FIFA’s 211-member voting body, giving Infantino a strong
foundation ahead of the election. He has also already secured support from
South America’s governing body, CONMEBOL, which accounts for an additional 10
votes.
Infantino first became FIFA president in 2016 following the
corruption scandal that led to the exit of his predecessor, Sepp Blatter. He
was subsequently re-elected in 2019 and 2023.
Although FIFA statutes limit presidents to three terms,
Infantino is eligible to run again because his initial term from 2016 to 2019
was considered partial and does not count toward the limit.
His tenure has not been without controversy, including
scrutiny over his relationship with US President Donald Trump, who received
FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize during the 2023 World Cup draw. The move prompted
a complaint from advocacy group FairSquare, which argued it breached FIFA’s
political neutrality rules.
Infantino has also faced criticism for expanding the FIFA
World Cup to 48 teams and introducing a revamped 32-team Club World Cup.
Despite this, FIFA has reported record revenues under his
leadership, with projections that the upcoming World Cup could generate around
$13 billion. The organisation has also significantly increased financial
support to its member associations through the FIFA Forward Programme, pledging
approximately $2.7 billion for the 2027–2030 cycle, an eightfold increase
compared to a decade ago
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