Infantino set to take his FIFA re-election campaign to Japan to court Asian soccer federations

Gianni Infantino, the incumbent FIFA president, is set to travel to Japan this week in an effort to court Asian soccer federations in support of his re-election bid. This move follows Infantino's apology to FIFA's 37-member ruling council for his involvement in a scrapped $4.2 billion sell-off plan for the World Cup. The council, chaired by Infantino, is responsible for making key decisions at FIFA, which comprises officials from across the globe.

The planned meeting with Asian soccer leaders will take place in a five-star hotel in Tokyo, with limited media coverage. Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), had initially opposed Infantino's plan to create a subsidiary to run the World Cup. However, there are indications that he may be reconsidering his stance, according to recent reports from The Athletic.

Infantino has proposed an open, independent review of FIFA's decision-making processes to address critics' concerns. According to an AP tally, Infantino is on track to secure the majority of the 211 FIFA member federations needed for re-election in March. Some of the crucial votes may come from Asian nations, as the AFC had previously criticized Infantino's actions.

However, within the AFC, member opinions are not uniformly aligned. While Qatar, the host of the 2022 World Cup, supports Infantino, Jordan has expressed opposition.

FIFA's December 16 council meeting will take place in Doha, Qatar. Current AP projections indicate that 87 out of 211 FIFA member federations have voiced their support for Infantino, either through individual statements or by endorsing statements of support from their regional confederations. The European bloc represents the largest opposition group.

To run for the presidency, candidates must have a two-year track record of active involvement in football, either as a player or an official within FIFA, a confederation, or an association. Moreover, candidates need endorsements from a minimum of five member nations. FIFA, which relies heavily on patronage networks and distributes billions in funds to soccer associations worldwide, has been under scrutiny for alleged lack of transparency and oversight.

Political scientist Jules Boykoff from Pacific University emphasizes that FIFA requires significant structural reform to address its shortcomings.