Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani and Yasser Almisehal amongst six Asian officers elected by AFC members.
Qatar and Saudi Arabia have gained seats on the FIFA Council, the decision-making committee of world soccer’s governing physique.
The election wins on Wednesday got here throughout the annual assembly of the Asian Soccer Confederation (AFC) which additionally confirmed Saudi Arabia because the host of the 2027 Asian Cup.
Qatar Soccer Affiliation President Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, whose nation hosts the following Asian Cup in January 2024, was amongst six Asian soccer officers elected by AFC members to signify them on the council by 2027.
Yasser Almisehal, president of the Saudi Arabian Soccer Federation, was additionally elected. Sheikh Hamad earned 40 votes from the 45 federations, whereas Almisehal received 35.
The 37-member FIFA Council is chaired by Gianni Infantino, the governing physique’s president who attended the election assembly in Bahrain.
The election outcomes confirmed Saudi Arabia and Qatar on the coronary heart of Asian soccer politics, with the AFC presidency scheduled to be vacant in 2027.
Qatar late final yr turned the primary nation within the Center East to host the World Cup, whereas in January, Portuguese celebrity Cristiano Ronaldo arrived in Saudi Arabia to play for Al Nassr amid longstanding hypothesis that the dominion will submit a co-hosting bid with Egypt and Greece for the World Cup in 2030 or 2034.
In the meantime, AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain was reelected by acclamation to a last four-year time period in a job he has held since 2013. He's additionally formally quantity two to Infantino as essentially the most senior of FIFA’s eight vice presidents.
FIFA Council positions – which pay a $250,000 wage in Zurich – have been additionally gained by Kohzo Tashima of Japan and Mariano Araneta of the Philippines, who retained their seats, and newcomer Hamidin Bin Mohd Amin, the Malaysian soccer federation chief.
Dropping candidates have been Du Zhaocai of China and Chung Mong-Gyu of South Korea, a scion of the household that owns Hyundai and who misplaced his seat in 2019.
The election for a FIFA Council seat protected for a lady was gained by Kanya Keomany of Laos.
Later within the assembly, the Saudi bid to host the 2027 Asian Cup was confirmed unopposed. India withdrew its bid in December.
Presenting the bid on stage, Saudi sport minister Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal referred to as the 2027 event “a transformational second in our collective soccer story”.
Saudi Arabia is a three-time champion of the Asian Cup – in 1984, 1988 and 1996 – however has by no means hosted the event.
FIFA is predicted to let greater than 200 member federations select the host of the 2030 World Cup subsequent yr.
Spain and Portugal, at present with Ukraine additionally, are planning a European bid for the 2030 World Cup, whereas a four-nation South American bid that brings collectively Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, the inaugural host 100 years earlier in 1930, can also be anticipated.
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