The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has publicly confirmed unanimous backing from its 54 member associations for Gianni Infantino's re-election as FIFA president.
The 56-year-old football chief, who replaced Sepp Blatter at the head of world football's governing body in 2016, is up for re-election in 2027 with a view to overseeing another four-year cycle as president.
A brief CAF statement sent to ESPN read: "The Confederation of African 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."
Earlier this month, South America's CONMEBOL confederation became the first to throw their support behind Infantino, who is yet to formally declare his intention to extend his tenure as president.
The Swiss-born football administrator was previously re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023, and has overseen a significant change in the world game since unseating Blatter.
Contributing 54 votes, Africa represents almost a quarter of FIFA's 211-association electorate, and a unified position significantly strengthens Infantino's re-election bid ahead of next year's decision.
The unified endorsement from Africa reflects the strong ties that Infantino has developed with the continent -- and specifically, CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe -- over the last decade.
Infantino has cultivated significant support across Africa by advocating for increased funding via the FIFA Forward programme, an expanded FIFA World Cup, and greater representation for the continent, as well as significant development investment for the 54-CAF member associations.
Motsepe and Infantino have developed a case working partnership, with CAF receiving greater FIFA financial assistance and governance support during a period of reform and stabilisation following the tenure of previous CAF president Ahmad Ahmad.
Infantino's presidency has been marked by major reforms and some controversy, with the financial growth of FIFA and introduction of new tournaments such as the FIFA Club World Cup, coupled with increased criticism of governance decisions and centralised power at Zurich.
The 77th FIFA Elective Congress, where the future of the presidency will be voted, is rumoured to be taking place in Morocco next year.
FIFA is holding meetings throughout this week in Vancouver, one of the 16 venues for this year's World Cup, with the 76th FIFA Congress set to take place on Thursday.
This week, FIFA have already announced changes to the suspension rule for the accumulation of yellow cards at the World Cup, introduced punishments for players covering their mouths during a confrontation with opponents, an increase in tournament prize money and a re-entry into the sport for the exiled Afghanistan women's national team.
