The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has changed its position and announced its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Friday, October 23, after initially being part of the opposition. This shift could be crucial for his re-election in March. Already considered the favorite in the absence of a serious challenger, the Italo-Swiss-Lebanese may have finally secured the backing he needed with the AFC's support, the third-largest group of federations, and thus votes. “We reaffirm our total commitment to support you (...) as you seek a new term as FIFA President,” said Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa following an AFC meeting in Tokyo attended by Gianni Infantino. This change in stance is significant, as the AFC had previously joined European (UEFA) and North American and Caribbean (CONCACAF) confederations in strongly condemning Infantino's secret project — which has since been abandoned — to open FIFA's major competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors.
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