FIFA President Gianni Infantino Takes Re-Election Campaign To Japan, Seeks AFC Support After $4.2 Billion World Cup Sell-Off Controversy
Tokyo: Gianni Infantino's campaign for re-election as FIFA president is set to move this week to Japan and a meeting scheduled for Wednesday with the Asian Football Confederation. This comes after Infantino apologized last week in Zurich, Switzerland, to FIFA's 37-member ruling council — which he chairs — for “mistakes” he made in assembling a now-scrapped $4.2 billion sell-off plan for the World…
Gianni Infantino, the current FIFA president, is set to re-visit Japan this week for a meeting with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). This move comes after Infantino apologized for the scrapped $4.2 billion World Cup sell-off plan in Zurich, Switzerland, earlier this year. The Asian Football Confederation had initially opposed Infantino's proposal to create a subsidiary to manage the World Cup, but may have softened his stance, according to reports from The Athletic.
Infantino is seeking a fourth term in the upcoming 2027 election, and an Associated Press tally indicates he is close to securing the majority of the 211 FIFA member federations needed for re-election. While Qatar, the host of the 2022 World Cup, supports Infantino, Jordan and some European nations oppose him. FIFA's voting system and decision-making process have been criticized for their lack of transparency and accountability, with experts calling for a structural overhaul of the organization.
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