Aley (Lebanon) (AFP) - Vice President of the Asian Football Confederation, Hashem Haidar, told Agence France-Presse on Monday that Gianni Infantino's chances of retaining the position of President of the International Federation in March 2027 are "decided."

Published on: 09/11/2026 - 14:59

Infantino, seeking re-election for a fourth and final term as FIFA president, faced sharp criticism and calls for his resignation following his canceled plan to sell World Cup rights.

But the Swiss-Italian-Lebanese is now in a strong position to secure his re-election after the Asian Football Confederation last month endorsed the 56-year-old’s candidacy.

Infantino had previously said that he had the support of the "overwhelming majority" of the member associations, rejecting calls for his departure, especially from the European Union (UEFA).

Despite the honorary president of the Japanese Federation, Kozo Tashima, on Thursday running to compete with Infantino, Haider, who also heads the Lebanese Football Association, said on the sidelines of Infantino’s opening of a stadium in the town of Chanet in Mount Lebanon (east), “His (Infantino’s) chances are decided,” adding, “We are publicly, clearly, and categorically supportive of Infantino.”

While Infantino refused to speak to the media, Haider continued, "Tashima can get some votes, but it is difficult for him to be able to compete, because the presidency of the International Federation needs relations with all parts of the globe, and it is difficult to achieve that."

He continued, "If I were Asian, I might get some Asian and African votes, but it is difficult to reach South and North America and others, with all my love for my friend Kozo Tashima."

Japanese newspaper Sports Nippon quoted Tashima on Sunday: “At this stage, I think my chances of winning are between 20% and 30%, but as the campaign progresses I want my self-confidence to rise to 40% or 50%. I really want to change FIFA.”

“The coach’s ambition is the World Cup.”

Infantino made a quick visit that lasted a few hours to Lebanon, where he moved to open the “FIFA Arena” academic stadium in the Chanet area, which aims to “develop new youth,” promising to open at least “three stadiums and certainly more in various Lebanese regions.”

Infantino, who is married to a Lebanese woman, said in his speech while holding the Lebanese flag, “This beautiful flag is in my heart, and it is the most beautiful flag in the world. Together we will accomplish many things, and we will work to restore Lebanon to shine again on the world football map.”

For his part, Haider told Agence France-Presse about the opening of the stadium, “Football is not always competition. It is fun, friendship, and reunion. This type of stadium attracts children to playing football... These stadiums will be opened in several villages in Lebanon.”

He noted, "Large stadiums are limited to current football fans, but these stadiums create generations of football practitioners and fans."

In response to a question from Agence France-Presse about FIFA financing the construction of a large stadium with international standards, Haider replied, “The project is just around the corner to lay its foundation stone. Everything is secure, the design is ready. There is a promise that the foundation stones will be laid in the month of March. The stadium is very close to Beirut.”

Regarding how to benefit from the presence of Infantino, who has held Lebanese citizenship in Mussoum since 2025, to strengthen the technical situation of football in the “Land of the Cedars” after the setbacks of the past years, most notably the failure to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup, Haider commented, “We benefit from the presence of Mr. Infantino as a Lebanese at the head of the International Federation, similar to the big stadium.”

Regarding the new coach of the Lebanese-Algerian national team, Madjid Bougherra, he said, “The coach’s goal is to qualify for the World Cup. I hope he achieves this goal. We must give him time because he is building a new team. He is laying the groundwork through the current friendly matches to achieve good results in official matches.”

He continued, "For us, we ask the Lebanese masses to be patient. We may go through some vibrations, but we are looking to the future, and this is what is most important."

The Lebanese national team has never qualified for the World Cup in its history, and the recent period witnessed its decline to 115th place in the FIFA world rankings after failing to qualify for the Asian Cup.

© 2026 AFP

The content you want to browse is no longer in service or is currently unavailable.