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 organisations 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.