Conmebol fall into line early with block support of Infantino ahead of 2027 presidential election

April 12 – With FIFA presidential elections a year away, South American governing body Conmebol has backed Gianni Infantino for re-election as the head of world football.

Infantino, who came to power in 2016, has not yet formally announced that he will seek another term in 2027, but that has not stopped the South American confederation from throwing their weight behind the football official with a ringing endorsement.

In a statement on Thursday, Conmebol wrote: “The CONMEBOL Council unanimously expressed its support for Gianni Infantino’s management at the head of FIFA, in the face of a possible candidacy for re-election for the period 2027-2031.”

The organization highlighted “the leadership of Gianni Infantino and the progress driven during his management at the head of FIFA, valuing his impact on the development of football.”

The position marks a shift from previous friction between the South Americans and FIFA. In 2020, Conmebol and UEFA signed a memorandum of understanding to reinforce ties and emphasise their opposition to FIFA’s proposal for a biennial World Cup. They opened a joint office in London and staged the ‘Finalissima’, which was cancelled this year because of the war in Iran.

Earlier in 2026, Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez, celebrating 10 years at the helm of the confederation, awarded Infantino with the ‘The Best For The Best’ prize. Infantino himself has overseen a controversial decade at FIFA, among others awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia and the FIFA Peace Prize to Donald Trump, setting sky-high World Cup ticket prices, and eroding good governance at a record pace. The FIFA statutes limit the president to a maximum of three terms.

Ties between FIFA and Conmebol have been restored with the South American governing body still pushing for an extended 64-team World Cup in 2030. Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay will host one match each before the finals will move to Spain, Portugal and Morocco, but the South Americans want to stage more matches. Dominguez has also maneuvered to make the Osvaldo Domínguez Dibb Stadium – named after his father – the preferred World Cup venue in Paraguay, even though the venue was not included in the bid book.

“President Gianni Infantino, thank you for your permanent commitment to the development of South American football and for the leadership promoted globally,” said Dominguez. “We deeply value your closeness to our region and your vision to continue growing this sport around the world.”

Repeating the old patronage system from the days of Sepp Blatter, Infantino has kept confederations and member associations happy by distributing record sums of development money. Under FIFA Forward 3.0, every confederation is entitled to $15 million for the 2027-2030 cycle. FIFA has promised to distribute a record $2.7 billion in development money to the 211 member associations and confederations.

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