Two months ago the head of the Asian Football Confederation put his name to a letter accusing Gianni Infantino of breaking trust "through deception". On Thursday, in Tokyo, with Infantino sitting in the room, he told the AFC Congress that Asia would back him for another term as Fifa president.
Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa's words were not hedged. "We reaffirm our full commitment, of course, to supporting you as you seek a new mandate as president," he said. He added that he had spoken to members across the continent and that their support for Infantino was clear, before asking everyone to move on from what came before. "Yes, we had some issues, we spoke about them in the past, but let's not relate the two things together. As one Asian family, we are ready to move forward, united in your support, Gianni."
What the letter said
The dispute it refers to was serious. In the summer, the presidents of Uefa, Concacaf and the AFC signed a joint letter criticising Infantino over a failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors, the scheme known as Fifa Forward Enterprise. The language was unusually direct for football governance: a profound failure of judgement, and not the qualities football deserves in its leadership.
Infantino apologised for the plan at a meeting of Fifa's Council last week, though he did not set out in full how the proposal had been devised. At the same meeting he proposed raising global football development funding by 3.4bn dollars (2.6bn pounds). Uefa, meanwhile, has told Fifa to release key documents and answer all questions on its governance and decision-making by 2 November.
The arithmetic now favours him
One of the three signatories breaking ranks changes the shape of the election in Rabat next March. Uefa carry 55 votes, Africa 54, Asia 46, Concacaf 35, Oceania 11 and Conmebol 10. Infantino's support in Africa and South America has been solid for years. Add Asia's 46 to that and the rebellion loses its route to a majority before a single candidate has declared.
And none has. The deadline for anyone to confirm they are standing against Infantino is 18 November, and nobody has filed. Concacaf president Victor Montagliani and Uefa chief Aleksander Ceferin, the two names most often raised, have both made clear they are not running. As things stand, Infantino could be returned unopposed for a fourth and final term.
A warm exchange in Tokyo
The mood in the hall was friendlier than the summer correspondence. Infantino praised Sheikh Salman's 13 years at the AFC and promised Fifa's partnership for as long as he wants it. Asked afterwards about the endorsement, he kept it short: "I feel great about the AFC's support."
What is less clear is what, if anything, was settled about the original complaint. Uefa's deadline still stands, the documents have not been released, and the reasons three confederations objected in the first place have not gone away. They simply matter less now that one of the three has decided to stop pressing.
Election context: The Fifa presidential election takes place in Rabat in March, with the candidate deadline on 18 November. Infantino is seeking a fourth and final term. Reporting and quotes via BBC Sport, 23 October 2026.
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