AFC throws weight behind Infantino's FIFA presidency re-election bid

The Asian Football Confederation will back Gianni Infantino's candidacy in the upcoming FIFA presidential election, regional body chief Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa announced on Friday.

Speaking in Tokyo, the AFC president said the confederation's member associations would support Infantino's reelection bid, signalling Asia's backing for the incumbent FIFA leader.

The endorsement from Asia's football governing body represents a significant show of support for Infantino ahead of the formal election process. The AFC oversees football operations across one of FIFA's largest and most populous confederations.

Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, has previously pursued reelection and this backing from the AFC underscores his attempts to consolidate support from regional confederations before any formal ballot takes place.