Infantino Announces Asian Support Ahead of FIFA Election

Infantino spoke to the BBC in Azerbaijan, where he was attending the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Asked whether he would resign following the FIFA Forward Enterprise project, he laughed off the question. He acknowledged that differing views cannot always be easily managed, saying that disagreement is not a problem but that the parties must then continue on a shared path.

Responding to calls for his resignation, Infantino recalled that he was elected by 211 member associations from around the world. He said the Asian Football Confederation fully supports him and that all African countries support him as well. Stating that he respects all views, Infantino said the member associations will decide on the FIFA president and its governance model.

Addressing the tension with UEFA, Infantino said that more frequent dialogue between the two bodies is needed to repair relations. He did not give a clear answer on when the documents requested by UEFA would be provided, saying the documents are going through a legal process and that they are working on the matter.

Last week, UEFA General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis requested that key documents related to FFE be shared by November 2, and said FIFA had left a number of basic questions unanswered. Candidacy applications for the election scheduled for March 2027 are reported to close on November 18. Infantino has led FIFA since 2016.