Infantino claims majority support

By the Editorial Team · Monday, October 26, 2026

FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed he continues to have widespread backing from the global football community despite opposition over his failed plan to partially privatize the World Cup, and he is seeking a fourth term in the upcoming election. His campaign gained a key endorsement from the Asian Football Confederation amid ongoing challenges from UEFA, which is preparing to nominate a rival candidate and has raised legal and governance concerns about his leadership.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has affirmed that he retains the support of the "vast, vast majority" of the global football community, despite facing significant opposition and calls for his resignation following a controversial plan involving the partial privatization of the World Cup. Speaking from Baku, Azerbaijan, Infantino addressed the media ahead of his bid for a fourth term as FIFA president, with elections scheduled for March.

The 56-year-old Swiss official has encountered criticism from several football confederations over his aborted initiative to allow private investors stakes in FIFA’s flagship competitions, known as the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan. The scheme, which was disclosed earlier this year, prompted backlash and was scrapped just days after being revealed.

A notable development came on Friday when Sheik Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), publicly reversed his earlier position of criticism and endorsed Infantino’s re-election campaign. Infantino attended an AFC meeting in Tokyo where the endorsement was confirmed, offering a significant boost to his prospects. Previously, the AFC had joined UEFA—football’s European governing body—and CONCACAF, which represents North and Central America and the Caribbean, in censuring Infantino over the FFE plan.

UEFA has been the most vocal opponent of Infantino in recent months, reportedly preparing to nominate a rival candidate ahead of the November 18 deadline for presidential nominations. The European confederation has challenged Infantino’s leadership both politically and legally, including a lawsuit filed in the United States related to the FFE initiative. Last week, UEFA submitted 42 questions to FIFA concerning various issues including the FFE plan, the awarding of the “FIFA Peace Prize” to former U.S. President Donald Trump, and the suspension of American player Folarin Balogun’s World Cup ban following Trump’s intervention. UEFA has set a November 2 deadline for FIFA’s response.

Responding to these demands, Infantino stressed his willingness to cooperate within legal limits and emphasized the importance of dialogue and democratic processes within football’s governing structures. “If there are different points of view then we just have to be able to discuss them, engage, understand each other,” he said, highlighting the need for respectful debate even amid disagreements.

Infantino, who first became FIFA president in 2016, acknowledged varying viewpoints among FIFA’s 211 member associations but underlined the legitimacy of his continued leadership based on the broad support he claims to hold. Despite recent tensions and public rebukes from influential football federations, he remains poised to seek another term at the helm of world football’s governing body.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.