Saudi Arabia won a seat on FIFA’s ruling Council before being set to be confirmed as host of the 2027 Asian Cup.
Saudi soccer federation president Yasser Almisehal was among six Asian soccer officials elected by AFC members to represent them on FIFA’s decision-making council through 2027. Saudi Arabia is the only candidate to host the Asian championship that year.
Qatar federation president Sheikh Hamad Al Thani, whose country hosts the Asian Cup next January, also was elected to a FIFA position for the first time. Sheikh Hamad was picked by 40 of the 45 voting federations and Almisehal got 35.
The 37-member FIFA Council is chaired by the governing body’s president Gianni Infantino, who had a front-row seat Wednesday to the election meeting in Bahrain.
AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa was reelected by acclamation Wednesday to a final four-year term in a job he has held since 2013. He is also formally No. 2 to Infantino as the most senior of FIFA’s eight vice presidents.
Later in the meeting, the Saudi bid to host the 2027 Asian Cup was due to be confirmed unopposed. India withdrew its bid in December.
