FIFA PRESIDENT GIANNI Infantino’s hopes of securing re-election as the head of world football received a massive boost on Thursday after pledges of support from the African and Asian regional confederations.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) both said they will back Infantino, who confirmed on Thursday at FIFA’s Congress in Vancouver that he will run for re-election in 2027.

Earlier, CAF said it had “unanimously agreed” to support Infantino when the FIFA chief.

The Asian Football Confederation also vowed to support Infantino.

“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.

The African and Asian confederations account for 101 votes in FIFA’s presidential election out of a total of 211.

Infantino has already secured support for re-election from South American football’s ruling body CONMEBOL, which is worth a further 10 votes.

Infantino took over as head of FIFA in 2016 in the wake of the corruption scandal that led to the downfall of predecessor Sepp Blatter.

He was re-elected in 2019 and 2023.

Although FIFA statues limit FIFA presidents to three terms in office, Infantino is allowed to run for re-election next year after the body ruled that his partial first term from 2016-2019, following Blatter’s ouster did not count towards the total.

Infantino has faced controversy during his reign over his close ties to US President Donald Trump, who was awarded the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize during last year’s World Cup draw.

That led to a formal complaint being lodged with FIFA’s ethics committee by advocacy group FairSquare last year, who alleged that the award breached FIFA’s rules concerning political neutrality.

Infantino has also faced criticism for initiatives during his reign which have included expanding the World Cup to 48 teams and the launch of the revamped 32-team FIFA Club World Cup last year.

The Swiss official though has presided over record revenues during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup expected to rake in an estimated $13 billion.

Under Infantino, FIFA has also dramatically increased funding distributed to FIFA’s 211 member associations via its FIFA Forward Program. In the cycle from 2027-2030, FIFA has pledged to distribute some $2.7 billion to members, an eight-fold increase compared to 10 years ago.

Meanwhile,  Infantino reiterated that Iran will play their World Cup games in the United States as scheduled as football’s power-brokers met in Vancouver.

Iran’s participation at this year’s World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States has been shrouded in uncertainty since the eruption of war in the Middle East in February following strikes by the United States and Israel.

Infantino, who has repeatedly stated that Iran will be at the World Cup, underscored that stance at the start of his address to delegates as FIFA’s 76th Congress got under way in western Canada.

“Let me start by the outset, confirming straightaway that of course Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026,” Infantino said. “And of course, Iran will play (in) the United States of America.”

Infantino’s remarks drew swift support from close ally US President Donald Trump, who told reporters in the Oval Office he was “OK” with Iran’s participation.

“Well, if Gianni said it, I’m OK,” Trump said. “I think let ‘em play.”

Iranian officials had floated the idea of shifting their group games from the United States to Mexico, but that proposal had already been nixed by Infantino.

In a further twist last week, Italy-born US special envoy Paolo Zampolli was reported to have floated the idea of Italy taking Iran’s World Cup place.

The US government later distanced themselves from that proposal, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying Iran’s footballers would be welcome.

– © AFP 2026