Jakarta. Indonesia has thrown its support behind FIFA President Gianni Infantino's bid for another term despite mounting criticism over his handling of a now-abandoned proposal to open the World Cup to private investment, with Jakarta citing his efforts to expand football development beyond Europe.

Indonesia joins Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Sri Lanka and the Philippines in publicly backing Infantino. Morocco, which will co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, has also expressed support through its football federation, while Africa's continental governing body has yet to announce an official position.

Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) chairman Erick Thohir said Jakarta's designation as a FIFA Hub demonstrates Infantino's commitment to decentralizing football governance and investing in emerging football nations.

"This proves President Infantino's vision that football's growth should not be concentrated in one region but spread across the world," Erick said on Thursday.

Under a Host Country Agreement signed in June 2025, Jakarta was selected as FIFA's operational hub for Southeast and East Asia, serving 21 FIFA member associations across the two regions. The office is expected to strengthen coordination and accelerate FIFA development programs, including grassroots initiatives such as Football for Schools.

Erick said the hub reinforces Indonesia's position as an increasingly important center for football development in Asia and reflects FIFA's growing engagement with developing football nations.

He added that PSSI would support Infantino in the next FIFA presidential election, arguing that FIFA has become a strategic partner in Indonesia's football transformation.

"Without FIFA's support, the progress we have achieved today would have been difficult to realize," Erick said.

Infantino's re-election campaign has come under pressure after FIFA abandoned a proposal to create a commercial subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, that could have attracted private investment into tournaments including the World Cup and Club World Cup.

The plan, which FIFA said could have generated billions of dollars and significantly increased funding for its 211 member associations, faced strong opposition from UEFA and other football organizations over concerns about governance and transparency. FIFA later withdrew the proposal, acknowledged mistakes in the consultation process, and apologized to member associations.

Despite the controversy, FIFA's secretary general and senior management reaffirmed their support for Infantino this week, who remains the only declared candidate ahead of the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 2027.

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