Qatar, the host of the 2022 World Cup, also had a representative in the important group, Sheikh Hamad Al Thani, president of the country’s football federation.
Saudi Arabia, which had already been making a strong presence in the world of football, expanded its presence even further. This Wednesday (01/02), the country, known for the political and economic power generated by oil, won its place in the restricted FIFA Council, by confirming its presence in one of the seats. Saudi Arabia has been confirmed as the host of the 2027 edition of the Asian Cup.
President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, Yasser Almisehal was elected to be one of the six representatives of the Asian Football Confederation on the most important council of the sports federation, which replaced the famous Executive Committee after the allegations of corruption that occurred in 2015.
The exact process happened with Qatar, the host of the 2022 World Cup, which also had a representative in the important group, Sheikh Hamad Al Thani, president of the country’s football federation. He will be another of six Asians on the Board. As well as the Saudi Arabian Football Federation president, Al Thani will play for the organization for the first time. Qatar will host the 2024 Asian Cup.
A total of 37 members make up the FIFA Council, which is headed by the entity’s president, Gianni Infantino. He himself conducted the election for new members of the group this Wednesday, which took place in Bahrain, in Asia, located in the Persian Gulf between Qatar and Saudi Arabia. It is worth noting that Saudi Arabia and Qatar have become the heart of football politics on the Asian continent. And it was in this scenario that the election took place.
The other representatives from Asia elected at the same meeting on Wednesday were the Japanese Kohzo Tashima, the Filipino Mariano Araneta, and the Malaysian Hamidin Bin Mohd Amin, a newcomer to the position. The last vacancy went to Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalif, from Bahrain, who is also the president of the Asian Confederation and current number two in FIFA, behind only Infantino.