Gianni Infantino, currently under intense criticism, has received backing from several Asian nations following UEFA’s call for the FIFA president’s removal.
Infantino’s prospects of retaining his position as FIFA president have improved after Kuwait, Qatar, Sri Lanka, and Lebanon publicly expressed their support for him, particularly after controversial plans to sell a stake in the World Cup were scrapped.
The statements from these four countries underscore that Infantino still commands significant backing in Asia, signaling that his conflict with UEFA is far from over.
While UEFA and CONCACAF have urged Infantino to resign, their efforts to unseat the Swiss official have been hindered by the reaffirmed confidence from Kuwait, Qatar, Sri Lanka, and Lebanon in his leadership.
UEFA and CONCACAF collectively represent 90 of FIFA’s 211 member associations. Although this number is sufficient to pass a vote of no confidence—which requires just 20 percent of FIFA members—it falls short of the majority needed to remove Infantino from office.
Infantino also holds another advantage. Even if New Zealand joins the resistance against UEFA and CONCACAF, it is unlikely that the remaining 10 members of the Oceania Football Confederation will follow suit.
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