MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Saudi Arabia elevated its affect in international soccer Wednesday by profitable a seat on FIFA’s Governing Council earlier than being confirmed because the host of the 2027 Asian Cup.
The election win on the Asian Soccer Confederation’s annual assembly adopted Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer final month to play within the Saudi league and long-running hypothesis a couple of attainable bid to host the World Cup in 2030 or 2034.
Saudi soccer federation president Yasser Almisehal was amongst six Asian soccer officers elected by AFC members to signify them on FIFA’s decision-making board till 2027. Saudi Arabia is the one candidate to host the Asian championship that yr.
Qatar federation president Sheikh Hamad Al Thani, whose nation hosts the Asian Cup subsequent January, was additionally elected to a FIFA put up for the primary time. Sheikh Hamad was elected by 40 of the 45 voting federations and Almisehal acquired 35.
FIFA’s 37-member council is chaired by the governing physique’s president Gianni Infantino, who had a front-row seat on the election assembly in Bahrain on Wednesday.
The election outcomes confirmed Saudi Arabia and Qatar on the middle of Asian soccer politics, with the AFC presidency set to be vacant in 2027.
AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa was re-elected by acclamation on Wednesday for a ultimate four-year time period in a job he has held since 2013. He’s additionally formally No. 2 after Infantino because the highest-ranking eight vice-presidents of FIFA.
The FIFA Council positions – which pay a wage of $250,000 in Zurich – had been additionally received by Japan’s Kohzo Tashima and the Philippines’ Mariano Araneta, who stored their seats, and newcomer Hamidin Bin Mohd Amin, the pinnacle of the soccer federation from Malaysia.
The dropping candidates for the FIFA seats had been China’s Du Zhaocai and South Korea’s Chung Mong-Gyu, a scion of the Hyundai household who misplaced his seat in 2019.
AFC members additionally voted for a protected FIFA seat for a girl. The candidates had been from Laos and Bangladesh.
Later within the assembly, Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2027 Asian Cup was to be confirmed unopposed. India withdrew its provide in December.
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