CONMEBOL backs Infantino for fourth term

South American football’s governing body CONMEBOL has endorsed Gianni Infantino to run for re-election as FIFA president, becoming the first confederation to publicly call for a further four-year term.The backing was approved unanimously by the CONMEBOL Council and announced in a statement that praised Infantino’s leadership and the progress made in football development since he took office in 2016.CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez said: “President Gianni Infantino, thank you for your continued commitment to the development of South American football and for the leadership exercised at a global level.”Infantino, 56, has not formally declared his intention to stand again, but CONMEBOL’s intervention signals that campaign positioning is already under way ahead of the next FIFA presidential election, with his current term running until 2027.The move also lands as South American stakeholders continue to push for a bigger role in FIFA’s flagship properties, including renewed debate over tournament formats and hosting allocations.FIFA has previously discussed the possibility of expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams in 2030 after interest from influential South American political and football figures, with the idea presented as a one-off linked to the centenary of the first men’s World Cup in Uruguay in 1930.The 2030 tournament is already set to be staged across three continents and six countries, with Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina each due to host one match before the remainder is played across Spain, Portugal and Morocco.A 64-team edition would materially increase participation and match volume, with implications for the international calendar, player workload, host infrastructure and the commercial packaging of the tournament.CONMEBOL’s early endorsement of Infantino also sits against a complicated governance backdrop around term limits.FIFA has a 12-year presidential term limit, but a FIFA governance body previously ruled that Infantino’s first period in office did not count towards that limit because it was a shortened term, which would allow him to remain in power until 2031 if he is re-elected.Commercially, the endorsement highlights how confederation politics and competition strategy are increasingly intertwined.Support from a confederation can strengthen a president’s mandate when major decisions are in play, including tournament expansion, host selection frameworks, development funding priorities and the balance of influence between FIFA and its continental bodies.CONMEBOL’s statement also reflects a shift from earlier tension in Infantino’s tenure, when the confederation opposed proposals such as a biennial World Cup, aligning with UEFA against the concept.The public backing now positions Infantino with a visible early base of support from one of FIFA’s most influential confederations as the next election cycle begins to take shape.