which football associations support infantino? Ahead of FIFA’s 2023 presidential election, Gianni Infantino had broad backing from national associations across all six FIFA confederations. Reports before the vote commonly said 207 of FIFA’s 211 member associations had supported or nominated him.
That figure needs context: Infantino was the only candidate, and delegates re-elected him by acclamation, so there was no contested ballot showing how every association would have voted. This article explains what the support figure means, which regions backed him, and what the public record can—and cannot—confirm. It also separates association support from public opinion and explains how FIFA’s presidential election works.
which football associations support infantino?
The most accurate short answer is that Infantino had widespread support among FIFA’s national member associations before his 2023 re-election. Pre-election reporting commonly described 207 of the 211 associations as having nominated or backed him. Support was expressed across FIFA’s six confederations: Africa, Asia, Europe, North and Central America and the Caribbean, South America, and Oceania.
However, this should not be read as a final roll-call of votes. Infantino was the sole candidate at the 73rd FIFA Congress in Kigali, Rwanda, on March 16, 2023. Delegates re-elected him by acclamation, meaning the congress confirmed him without a competitive vote between candidates.
That distinction matters. A nomination or public endorsement shows that an association helped make a candidate eligible or signaled support before the congress. It does not provide a separate, recorded vote from that association on election day. FIFA’s public result confirms the re-election, but it does not publish a contested ballot tally showing each association’s choice.
What does the 207-of-211 support figure mean?
FIFA has 211 member associations, each representing a national or territorial football organization recognized by FIFA. Before the 2023 election, media reports commonly said that 207 had nominated or backed Infantino. The wording varies in coverage, so it is safest to treat the number as a reported pre-election support figure rather than a certified count of votes cast.
For a candidate to stand for FIFA president, the rules require nominations from member associations. A large number of nominations can therefore show a candidate has substantial organizational backing. But the nomination process and the election itself are separate stages. A nomination is not a secret ballot, nor does it guarantee that every nominating association would support the candidate in a contested election.
In 2023, there was no opposing candidate on the ballot. Infantino’s re-election by acclamation therefore demonstrated that the congress accepted his continuation in office, but it did not reveal individual voting preferences. The result should not be described as a conventional 207-to-4 vote, or as proof that every association supported every FIFA policy.
Support across FIFA’s six confederations
FIFA groups its member associations into six regional confederations. These bodies coordinate football in their regions and have influence in FIFA governance, but they are not substitutes for the national associations themselves. Statements of support from a confederation and nominations by its member associations are related, yet distinct.
| Confederation | Region represented | What can be said about Infantino’s support | Best interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAF | Africa | Support for his 2023 candidacy was expressed across the African football network. | Broad regional backing; not a published individual vote count. |
| AFC | Asia | Asian football leaders and associations were among those supporting his return. | Support from the region does not establish unanimity by every association. |
| CONMEBOL | South America | Support was reported from the South American confederation and its football community. | Confederation-level backing is not the same as a secret ballot. |
| CONCACAF | North America, Central America, and the Caribbean | Support for Infantino was part of the broad coalition behind his candidacy. | Public backing should not be treated as an individual association tally. |
| OFC | Oceania | Oceania was among the regions where support for his re-election was expressed. | Regional support does not mean every member publicly stated a position. |
| UEFA | Europe | European associations were part of the wider FIFA electorate and support was reported among members. | UEFA’s position should not be mistaken for a published vote by every European association. |
The table summarizes the broad pattern, not a certified list of every association that signed a nomination or issued a public statement. Regional backing can be politically significant, but it does not establish that each association agreed with every decision made by the FIFA president.
How FIFA elects its president
The FIFA president is elected at a FIFA Congress, where member associations are represented. Under FIFA’s one-member, one-vote structure, each association has one vote in a presidential election. That gives small associations the same formal vote as the largest national football organizations.
First, prospective candidates must meet FIFA’s eligibility rules and obtain the required nominations. The FIFA administration and relevant bodies then review the candidates. At the congress, the member associations choose among the eligible candidates. If only one candidate remains, the congress may confirm that person by acclamation rather than hold a contest between multiple candidates.
- Candidate nominations: Associations nominate eligible candidates under the applicable election rules.
- Eligibility review: FIFA checks whether candidates meet the required conditions.
- Congress decision: Delegates elect a president through the process set out in FIFA’s rules. With one candidate, the result may be confirmed by acclamation.
In 2023, Infantino faced no rival candidate at the congress. This is why reports about pre-election endorsements are useful for understanding his coalition, but they cannot be used as a substitute for a head-to-head election result.
Infantino’s election history in brief
Infantino first became FIFA president in February 2016, after the organization held an election to replace Sepp Blatter. He was re-elected in 2019, again without a competing candidate at the congress. In March 2023, delegates re-elected him for another term running through 2027.
The 2016 election was contested, so its result was based on votes among multiple candidates. The 2019 and 2023 re-elections were different: Infantino was unopposed on each occasion and was confirmed by acclamation. These elections show that he retained strong institutional backing, but an unopposed result does not tell readers how a competitive ballot might have turned out.
His support is also not a single permanent bloc. Associations can support a candidate for different reasons, such as leadership priorities, development funding, tournament plans, or regional relationships. An endorsement at one election does not necessarily predict an association’s position on a later policy or future election.
What public records can confirm—and what they cannot
Official FIFA records can confirm who stood for president, when the congress took place, and who was elected. Public announcements from confederations or national associations can also document explicit endorsements. News reports can help establish the broader pre-election picture, including the widely reported 207-association support figure.
But an endorsement list is not the same as an official election result. Some associations may not issue a public statement, and coverage may use “nominated,” “backed,” and “supported” differently. Unless FIFA publishes an association-by-association record for a contested vote, readers should avoid presenting inferred support as a verified ballot choice.
A useful way to assess any claim is to ask three questions: Was the association’s position formally stated? Was it a nomination, an endorsement, or a vote? And does the claim refer to the 2023 election or to another point in time? These checks prevent an outdated endorsement or broad regional statement from being presented as a current, individual position.
Why did so many associations support him?
There is no single reason that explains every association’s position. FIFA presidents build support through relationships with national associations and confederations, and candidates present plans that may appeal to different regions. Priorities can include development programs, access to competitions, funding, and how the international game is governed.
Support also reflects the structure of FIFA’s election. Every member association has one vote, regardless of the size of its national league or the commercial value of its teams. That gives associations from smaller football nations a direct role in choosing the president and makes broad regional coalitions important.
These factors help explain why a candidate may receive a large number of nominations. They do not prove that every supporter had the same motivation, or that all associations agreed with the candidate’s record. Endorsement is evidence of political support at a particular moment, not a blanket approval of every policy or outcome.
Common mistakes when interpreting the support
- Calling 207 endorsements a vote tally: The figure refers to reported pre-election support or nominations, not a recorded 207-to-4 result.
- Assuming every association in a region agreed: A confederation’s public position does not automatically document each member association’s individual stance.
- Treating acclamation as a contested win: Acclamation confirms a candidate when there is no rival; it does not measure opposition in a head-to-head ballot.
- Mixing up FIFA and national associations: FIFA is the international governing body. Its member associations represent countries or territories and make up the voting congress.
- Assuming support is still current: Endorsements relate to a particular election. They can change, and they do not settle what an association would support in a future contest.
Practical tip: When you see a claim that a particular country’s football association “voted for” Infantino, look for a source that identifies an actual ballot. If the source only cites a nomination or endorsement, describe it as support rather than a vote.
How to describe the answer accurately
A careful summary is: Infantino entered the 2023 FIFA presidential election with broad backing from associations across the six confederations, and pre-election reports commonly said 207 of FIFA’s 211 member associations had nominated or supported him. He was the only candidate and was re-elected by acclamation at the FIFA Congress.
That statement answers who supported him without claiming more than the public record shows. It identifies the scale and reach of the reported backing, while making clear that the congress did not publish a competitive, association-by-association vote count. If you need the position of one specific national association, rely on a direct statement from that association or an official election record, not an assumption based on its region.
Infantino’s 2023 re-election rested on broad support across FIFA’s six confederations. Reports commonly cited 207 of 211 member associations, but that figure describes pre-election backing or nominations—not an individual vote tally.
For a specific association, check whether it issued a formal endorsement and note whether the source describes a nomination or a vote. That distinction gives you the clearest answer to which football associations support infantino.