Asian Football Confederation backs Infantino for new term

Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa endorsed Gianni Infantino’s bid for another term as FIFA president on October 23, a reversal of the confederation’s criticism of his leadership two months earlier. Sheikh Salman announced the AFC’s support at its extraordinary congress in Tokyo, where Infantino was present. He said the confederation reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Infantino as he seeks a new mandate. The FIFA president welcomed the endorsement. The backing is the position of the AFC leadership, not a confirmed commitment by each of its member associations. Japan Football Association president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto said Japan had not decided whether to align with the endorsement and that AFC members’ views were not all aligned. Sheikh Salman said he believed most members supported Infantino, but did not claim unanimity. The AFC has 47 member associations. Several, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, had already publicly supported Infantino. The confederation’s endorsement adds to his support in Africa and South America, while UEFA remains among his critics. The continental confederations do not cast votes as unified blocs, so the...