Infantino gains crucial Asian support as FIFA leadership dispute escalates

Gianni Infantino’s prospects of remaining FIFA president have been strengthened after four Asian football associations publicly backed him, following the cancellation of a plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to private-sector investors.

The support from Kuwait, Qatar, Sri Lanka and Lebanon comes as opposition to Infantino’s leadership grows among UEFA and Concacaf. Their backing could prove significant in any attempt to challenge the FIFA president, with the position of Asian associations expected to play a decisive role.

The Daily Mail reported on Sunday that UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation had forced Infantino to abandon a proposal to sell a share of the World Cup for £3.1bn. UEFA and Concacaf later called for him to resign.

The report said the four Asian countries had since declared their support for Infantino, strengthening his position as pressure increases for action against him.

UEFA and Concacaf together represent 96 of FIFA’s 211 member associations. That number would be enough to begin procedures for a vote of no confidence, but not enough on its own to remove Infantino from office.

Infantino continues to have significant backing in Africa, while South American associations are expected to support him. However, the stance taken by Asian members could determine whether any formal move against the FIFA president gains momentum.

The dispute centres on the abandoned proposal involving the sale of a stake in the World Cup to private investors. UEFA and Concacaf had demanded a comprehensive review of FIFA’s leadership, arguing that the plan had “revealed a governance crisis within football’s world governing body”.

The criticism has created a broader contest between Infantino’s supporters and those seeking changes to the way FIFA is run. While UEFA and Concacaf have been at the forefront of the opposition, Infantino has received public backing from football authorities in the Middle East and North Africa.

Associations including Egypt, Qatar and Morocco have issued statements in support of the FIFA president. Qatar is therefore among the countries that have publicly backed Infantino in both the Middle East and wider Asian response outlined in the report.

The scale of the challenge facing Infantino will depend on whether the opposition can expand beyond the European and North American confederations. UEFA and Concacaf have enough combined votes to start a no-confidence process, but they would require support from other regions to remove him.

With Africa continuing to support the FIFA president and South America expected to align with him, Asian football’s position is likely to remain central to any leadership battle. The latest declarations from Kuwait, Qatar, Sri Lanka and Lebanon give Infantino additional political support as he faces the campaign led by UEFA and Concacaf.