The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) officially endorsed FIFA President Gianni Infantino for re-election on October 23, 2026, during an extraordinary AFC Congress in Tokyo, Japan, a reversal of its previous opposition to Infantino's commercial proposals. This decision comes just over two months after the AFC, along with other confederations, had vocally opposed Infantino’s controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme.

This endorsement provides significant backing for Infantino's campaign as the FIFA presidential election approaches in March 2027, giving him the support of AFC's 47 member associations against continued opposition from European football bodies.

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Infantino withdrew the FFE plan by August 1, 2026, stating it had "created divisions". He apologized for "mistakes" in communication and consultation regarding the scheme. Following this, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, President of the AFC, declared the confederation’s full commitment to Infantino's leadership, saying a "true understanding" had been reached despite past disagreements.

The AFC's endorsement carries weight due to its large number of member associations, which control votes in the election. Infantino's re-election efforts are also helped by FIFA's plans to increase financial contributions to member associations, from $10 million to $25 million.

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