Sports
The Asian Football Confederation has announced its full support for Gianni Infantino in his bid for a new term as president of the international football governing body, strengthening his position ahead of the upcoming elections. This declaration was made during a meeting held in Tokyo, attended by Infantino, where Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the AFC president, reaffirmed the confederation's commitment to backing Infantino's leadership. Sheikh Salman noted that consultations with football officials across Asia showed widespread endorsement of the Swiss-Italian official's candidacy. This support follows a period of disagreements between the parties over a project to establish a commercial company affiliated with FIFA that would allow private sector investors, with the AFC among those initially opposing the plan alongside the European and North and Central American confederations. However, the AFC later shifted its stance and began supporting Infantino, with its president indicating that past disputes have been overcome and that football is stronger through collaboration. The AFC's backing carries significant electoral weight, as it comprises 46 member associations compared to 55 in Europe and 35 in CONCACAF. The FIFA presidential election is scheduled for March, with the candidate registration deadline on November 18, while no prominent challenger has officially declared candidacy yet.
