The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has added its powerful voice to the growing support for Gianni Infantino for a fourth term as FIFA President, with all member associations on the continent unanimously agreeing to back the incumbent ahead of next year’s election cycle.
The landmark decision was reached during a meeting held in Vancouver, Canada on the eve of the 76th FIFA Congress marking a significant show of continental solidarity behind the Swiss-Italian administrator who has led world football’s governing body since 2016.
In a statement released following the gathering, CAF confirmed the unanimous nature of the endorsement.
“The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) held a meeting on Wednesday 29 April 2026, in Vancouver, Canada on the eve of the 76th FIFA Congress and the CAF Member Associations unanimously agreed to support Gianni Infantino to be re-elected as President of FIFA for the period 2027-2031.”
CAF
The backing from Africa’s 54 member associations represents one of the most significant blocs of votes in FIFA’s electoral college, underscoring Infantino’s continued dominance of global football politics heading into the next presidential cycle.
A Second Confederation Falls In Line
CAF’s endorsement makes the African confederation the second continental football body to publicly declare support for Infantino, following South America’s governing body, CONMEBOL, which had earlier thrown its weight behind the former UEFA General Secretary.
Together, the two confederations represent a formidable alliance that would be difficult for any potential challenger to overcome.
The speed and unanimity of both endorsements signal that Infantino remains the frontrunner in the race even as questions linger about his formal declaration of candidacy.
As of the time of the Vancouver meeting, the FIFA President had not publicly confirmed his intention to seek another term, leaving the global football community in a state of watchful anticipation.
Despite that ambiguity, Africa has already made its position abundantly clear.
Infantino’s Decade at the Helm
Gianni Infantino first ascended to the FIFA presidency on February 26, 2016, following one of the most turbulent chapters in the organisation’s history. His predecessor, Sepp Blatter, had been removed from office in 2015 amid a sweeping corruption and bribery scandal that rocked FIFA to its foundations and triggered criminal investigations across multiple jurisdictions.
Infantino, then serving as UEFA General Secretary, emerged as a consensus candidate capable of steering the beleaguered organisation toward stability and reform. He was subsequently re-elected in June 2019 and again by acclamation in March 2023, a rare procedural honour that underscored the extent of his support across FIFA’s membership.
His current mandate runs through 2027, meaning the next presidential election would extend his stay at the helm through 2031 should he choose to run and win, completing what would be a remarkable 15-year tenure.
Throughout his presidency, Infantino has presided over sweeping changes to global football, including the landmark expansion of the FIFA World Cup from 32 to 48 teams—a format set to debut at the 2026 edition which will be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico in June.
He has also overseen the introduction of the FIFA Club World Cup in its new expanded format and pushed aggressively for football’s commercial and geographic growth across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
The Vancouver meeting sets the tone for what promises to be a significant FIFA Congress, even as the football world awaits Infantino’s own word on whether he will formally enter the race to extend his decade-long reign over the world’s most popular sport.
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