Controversial FIFA Chief Gianni Infantino Claims Strong Backing For Fourth Term

Last Updated:October 24, 2026, 7:37 PM IST

FIFA president Gianni Infantino claims he has strong support from member associations for his fourth term bid, following endorsements from Asian and African confederations.

Gianni Infantino (Reuters Photo)

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has claimed he enjoys the backing of the “vast, vast majority” of member associations in his bid for a fourth term, despite facing criticism over his failed plan to sell part of the organisation’s commercial rights to private investors.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) endorsed Infantino on Friday, providing a boost to his re-election campaign ahead of the presidential election scheduled for March. The 56-year-old currently has no declared challenger, with the deadline for candidates to enter the race set for November 18.

Infantino’s position had come under pressure two months ago after his proposal to sell a portion of the commercial rights to FIFA-run competitions to private investors triggered a backlash. The heads of European football’s governing body UEFA, the AFC and CONCACAF had signed a letter stating that football “belongs to no individual”.

Infantino apologised last week for the abandoned investment project. However, he has since received public backing from Asian and African football associations, according to his remarks to the BBC.

“I’m just coming back off Tokyo where the Asian Football Confederation has fully endorsed me. I was in Cape Verde where all African countries have endorsed me,” Infantino said on Saturday.

He added that he was in discussions with football associations across the world and argued that FIFA’s democratic process required the views of all member associations to be respected.

“In an organisation like FIFA, there can be different views, different points of view,” he said, adding that the “vast, vast majority” of associations supported his position.

Infantino also said he respected differing opinions and that the final decision would rest with FIFA’s member associations, who would determine both their choice of president and how the organisation should be run.

The election in March will decide whether Infantino secures another term leading world football’s governing body. With the November 18 nomination deadline approaching, no other candidate has yet announced a challenge.

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What caused the backlash against FIFA President Gianni Infantino ahead of the March election?

Gianni Infantino faced a major backlash after proposing a plan to sell a portion of the commercial rights to FIFA-run competitions to private investors. The controversial project, known as the FIFA Forward Enterprise, led to strong criticism from European governing body UEFA and other regional associations before it was ultimately abandoned and Infantino issued an apology.

Which football confederations have publicly endorsed Gianni Infantino’s re-election bid?

Despite facing heavy criticism over his commercial plans, Gianni Infantino has received public backing from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and African football associations for his fourth-term re-election campaign. He also secured unanimous support from the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL).

When is the next FIFA presidential election scheduled to take place?

The upcoming FIFA presidential election is scheduled to be held in March at the FIFA Congress in Morocco, where Gianni Infantino will seek a fourth term to lead world football.

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