Gianni Infantino secures backing from all 22 Arab football nations

Gianni Infantino has received the declared support of the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA), which represents 22 countries, ahead of the FIFA presidential election in March 2027.

The announcement was made after a UAFA meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In a statement issued after the meeting, the organisation said the FIFA president could count on its support.

Infantino’s position has attracted significant attention across world football, with the UAFA’s declaration confirming a unified stance among its members. The backing includes both Arab-African and Arab-Asian countries.

The UAFA’s 22 members are Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Support from the Arab-African nations for Infantino’s continued leadership had already been known. However, the position of some Arab-Asian countries had not previously been clear.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has distanced itself from Infantino, although not all of its Asian member countries agreed with that decision. The UAFA statement therefore provides backing from a wider group of countries ahead of the FIFA vote.

The FIFA presidential election is due to take place in March 2027. Infantino is currently the only person to have declared a candidacy.

FIFA has repeatedly said that it is looking for another candidate to enter the contest. The organisation’s search comes as UEFA and several European countries oppose the Swiss remaining at the head of world football.

That position contrasts with the support expressed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and by other African countries acting individually. The UAFA’s announcement now adds the collective backing of all 22 Arab member associations to Infantino’s position.