Infantino set to take his FIFA re-election campaign to Japan to court Asian soccer federations

Gianni Infantino’s campaign to win a fourth term as FIFA president is heading to Japan this week, with a Wednesday meeting with the Asian Football Confederation in Tokyo. The visit follows Infantino’s apology in Zurich to FIFA’s 37-member ruling council, which he chairs, over “mistakes” tied to a now-scrapped $4.2 billion World Cup sell-off plan. The AFC meeting is planned at a five-star Tokyo hotel with most media excluded. The Athletic reported AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa may be softening resistance, despite earlier opposition. Infantino faces an election in March; the Dec. 16 FIFA Council meeting is in Doha.