Gianni Infantino is endorsed by the Asian Football Confederation for another term as FIFA president

TOKYO (AP) — The head of the Asian Football Confederation said Friday the body is endorsing Gianni Infantino for another term as FIFA president.

The AFC has 47 member confederations. Even if all the members do not follow the direction of Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the AFC president, those votes could be a key to guaranteeing another mandate for Infantino, who leads the governing body of world soccer and is seeking a fourth term.

The FIFA election is in March and the deadline for candidates to file against Infantino is Nov. 18. So far none has filed.

Sheikh Salman, speaking at the body's extraordinary congress meeting in Tokyo on Friday, embraced Infantino with a large hug in front of the membership as he delivered his endorsement.

“We affirm our full commitment to supporting you and your leadership as you seek a new mandate as the FIFA president.” Sheikh Salman said. “You’ve visited a lot of countries in Asia. I’ve spoken to a lot of members within this continent. I know your feeling and I think your commitment is clear as well.”

Addressing his remarks to Infantino, Sheikh Salman indicated not every AFC member would go along with the endorsement, but most will.

“My feeling is, I’m sure, the feeling of most of my members,” Sheikh Salman said. “And I’ve said that to you.”

This is an abrupt turnaround for Sheikh Salman. Just over two months ago, the AFC joined the soccer governing bodies of Europe, and North and Central America in saying that Infantino had committed a “fundamental breach of trust.”

Infantino apologized last week in Zurich to FIFA's 37-member ruling council — which he chairs — for “mistakes” he made in assembling a now-scrapped $4.2 billion plan for the World Cup.

Sheikh Salman referenced the differences with Infantino in his speech, but glossed over any details.

“Gianni I want to make it clear, Yes, we had some issues we spoke about in the past," Sheikh Salman said. "But let’s not relate the two things together. I think the last few days we met in Zurich you made it clear that there’s a true understanding between us.”

“The past I’m sure is part of our history,” he added, "We've all, I’m sure, learned important lessons from it. What matters now is how we move forward together. I think everyone has questions and I’m sure the answers we be available, whether to us in Asia, or the rest of the world. ”

FIFA's media office has been promoting Infantino's travels around the globe, seeking votes in exchange for more millions of dollars in financial support for small and large soccer countries.

“Thank you for being here,” Sheikh Salman said to Infantino. “I know you have been everywhere. I don’t know how you can do it. But I’m sure that you set a record for being in almost every country.”

Sheikh Salman then joked that, perhaps, Infantino had a “clone."

That drew a laugh. But the largest applause came at the end of his brief address when he again repeated his support for Infantino.

"As one Asian family we are ready to move forward, united in your support, Gianni,” Sheikh Salman added. “I want to make that clear today.”

Infantino took the podium following Sheikh Salman and kept it light. But he did acknowledge some errors.

“When you do many things, you do — hopefully, as we did, many good things — you do some mistakes as well," Infantino said. "The important, however, is, as you said, to learn, to learn always from the experience, from the mistakes, to apologize, to move ahead, to come together, to unite, to build for our future, for your future.”

The largest applause came as he mentioned how, under his leadership, more millions are flowing to FIFA's patronage network.

“Before I started as FIFA president — each of you, some of you are still (here) and still remember — that time," Infantino said. "Each of you was receiving $1 million US dollars every four years. As of the first of January of next year, it will be $25 million US dollars.”

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

FILE -FIFA President Gianni Infantino arrives to attend the opening game of the Women's U20 World Cup opening match between Poland and Argentina in Katowice, Poland, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Beata Zawrzel, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump, seeking to help Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a tough reelection battle in Maine, is exempting some imports — including plywood sheets, packing crates and some machinery — from the 50% tariffs he slapped on $20 billion worth of Canadian products over the summer. The changes will take effect Oct. 30.

The White House said the president was seeking to offset "the burden to U.S. commerce while better serving the public interest.''

Collins, locked in a tight race with Democratic challenger Troy Jackson, issued a statement saying she'd spoken with Trump's top trade negotiator, Jamieson Greer, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick "about the toll tariffs are taking on Maine families, businesses, farmers, and growers.''

"Many of our farmers and growers rely on specialized equipment, packaging materials, and other products from Canada that are either unavailable from American suppliers or cannot be replaced without incurring significant expense,” Collins said.

She said she asked for tariff relief for such products “and stressed the burdens additional costs impose on Maine businesses and families.”

Collins said she'd seek "additional relief from tariffs and encourage a broader trade agreement with Canada, our neighbor, ally, and largest trading partner.”

Trump started a trade war with America’s longstanding ally and northern neighbor, reaching back to a Depression-era trade law to impose tariffs on Canadian imports. He charged that Canada discriminates against U.S. dairy, auto and alcoholic beverage producers. Canada promptly lashed back with tariffs of 15% to 50% on American products, matching Trump’s import taxes dollar for dollar.

Trump ratcheted the dispute up from there last month by imposing a flat-out ban on $1 billion worth of Canadian imports, including alcoholic beverages, dairy products and motorcycles.

The U.S. president has claimed that foreign countries pay his tariffs. In fact, U.S. importers do. And they often face the tough choice of having to pass along the higher costs to their customers or absorb them.

As the Nov. 3 midterm elections approach, many Americans are furious about the cost of living. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll of 2,140 U.S. adults, conducted Sept. 24-28, found that 65% now blame Trump’s policies for persistently high prices more than factors outside of his control, signaling weariness over his aggressive use of tariffs and unhappiness with the war with Iran, which has driven up the price of gasoline.

Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said in a statement, “Trump’s desperate, 11th hour attempt to save Susan Collins’ political career is an admission that American voters are rejecting his toxic tariff policies.”

Collins complained that Trump’s levies were hurting Maine farms and businesses that rely on Canadian imports when U.S.-made alternatives are not available. Her office cited the example of Maine wild blueberry growers who need specialized harvesting boxes from Canada that work with their processing equipment.

Sen. Susan Collins speaks to reporters following a campaign stop Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)