FIFA President Gianni Infantino has secured public backing from four Asian nations, a move that bolsters his position amidst calls for his resignation from UEFA and CONCACAF. This support comes after the withdrawal of a contentious plan to sell a £3.1 billion stake in the World Cup to private investors.

Kuwait, Qatar, Sri Lanka, and Lebanon have publicly reaffirmed their confidence in Infantino's leadership. These confederations, along with Africa and South America, are expected to maintain their support, presenting a significant obstacle to efforts by UEFA and CONCACAF to oust the FIFA president. While UEFA and CONCACAF represent 90 of FIFA's 211 member associations, their combined support falls short of the majority required to remove Infantino from his post.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) welcomed the decision to abandon the private equity proposal but refrained from challenging FIFA's leadership in its official statement. This stance, reinforced by the public declarations from Kuwait, Qatar, Sri Lanka, and Lebanon, indicates significant backing for Infantino across Asia. The remaining 40 AFC member associations have yet to comment publicly, suggesting alignment with the AFC's neutral position.

UEFA, on the other hand, has been vocal in its criticism. The European football governing body, along with CONCACAF, has called for Infantino's resignation, citing a lack of transparency and questionable governance in the handling of the now-withdrawn investment proposal. UEFA stated, "The proposal was unanimously rejected by UEFA's national associations and by many other federations and confederations of all sizes around the world, whose job it is to protect football." UEFA added that the current FIFA leadership "has not only lost UEFA's confidence but also that of many other members of the football family."

CONCACAF echoed these sentiments, welcoming the withdrawal of the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) and commending the "courage and unity" shown by its member associations. The confederation stated, "A proposal of this magnitude does not reach that stage by accident. It is a symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first."

Despite the opposition, UEFA and CONCACAF do not currently command the necessary votes to unseat Infantino. Public opposition stands at 43 percent of FIFA's membership, below the majority threshold. However, the possibility remains that undeclared associations could shift their allegiances. The departure of 16 nations from Infantino's bloc could place his presidency in a precarious position.

Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, AFC president, expressed pride in the solidarity of his member associations, stating, "The future of global football must always be shaped through sound consultation, collective dialogue, and respect for the established governance structures of our game."