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Mongolia breaks ranks with AFC, backs Infantino for FIFA re-election
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Sports

Mongolia breaks ranks with AFC, backs Infantino for FIFA re-election

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Context piece
  • Mongolia's Football Federation (MFF) has declared full support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino's re-election bid.
  • This stance contrasts with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), of which Mongolia is a member, which has been critical of Infantino.
  • The MFF thanked FIFA for its development support in Mongolia, including infrastructure projects, and urged an end to European attempts to influence its position.

The Mongolian Football Federation (MFF) has publicly backed FIFA President Gianni Infantino for re-election, diverging sharply from the critical stance taken by its continental governing body, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

In a statement released via Instagram, the MFF expressed "sincere gratitude" to FIFA for its contributions to football development within Mongolia. The federation specifically highlighted FIFA's role in infrastructure projects, such as the construction of an indoor 'Air Dome' facility, field renovations, and the installation of artificial turf and lighting systems at the National Training Center. These facilities are deemed "fundamental" for the progress of Mongolian national teams and the sport nationwide.

We have counted on FIFA to be our partner to continue with these positive initiatives.

— Mongolian Football Federation (MFF)Expressing gratitude for FIFA's support and partnership in developing football infrastructure in Mongolia.

The MFF stated its expectation for FIFA to remain a partner in these ongoing initiatives and acknowledged Infantino's personal involvement in advancing Mongolian football. "In this regard, the MFF confirms its full support for Gianni Infantino for his re-election as FIFA president," the federation declared. It also called for an cessation of interference from certain European associations regarding its position.

In this regard, the MFF confirms its full support for Gianni Infantino for his re-election as FIFA president.

— Mongolian Football Federation (MFF)Declaring their official endorsement of Infantino for the upcoming FIFA presidential election.

Mongolia's position stands in contrast to the AFC, which comprises 46 member associations. The AFC's president, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, has joined UEFA and Concacaf in criticizing Infantino over the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project. This divergence has also led to public disagreements within Asia, notably between the AFC and the Qatar Football Association (QFA), a key Infantino supporter. The QFA president questioned the AFC's authority to speak for its members without consultation, while Salman defended his mandate to protect Asian football interests.

The conflict arises amid controversy surrounding the FFE, Infantino's initiative to attract private investment into FIFA's commercial rights. The plan, which involved selling approximately 20% of these rights for about $4.2 billion, was withdrawn by Infantino on July 31 following backlash. Several federations have recently withdrawn support for Infantino ahead of the March 2027 presidential elections.

There may be a certain opinion in Europe about the management of the sport, but it is not an opinion that is shared in other parts of the world.

— Mongolian Football Federation (MFF)Responding to perceived European criticism of Infantino's leadership and FIFA's direction.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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