South African Patrice Motsepe, president of the African Football Confederation, strongly defended FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Wednesday, describing him as a loyal servant of the game and a friend of the African continent.

The Italian-Swiss Infantino found himself facing criticism over FIFA's decision to suspend the suspension of US striker Folarin Balogun during the World Cup that concluded on Sunday, as well as the adoption of water breaks, and the proposal to expand the World Cup to 64 teams after the 2026 edition was held with 48 teams for the first time.

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Motsepe told reporters in Johannesburg: 'I admire his deep love for football, his strong commitment to developing the game worldwide, and his support for Africa,' adding that Infantino 'remained loyal' to Africa and played an important role in developing football on the continent. He added: 'Gianni played a pivotal role in expanding opportunities for African teams on the global stage,' referring to the increase in Africa's World Cup allocation by four additional direct slots, plus one through the intercontinental playoff.

The continent was represented in the 2026 edition, which concluded on Sunday with Spain beating Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final, by a record 10 teams.

Infantino, who took over the FIFA presidency from Swiss Sepp Blatter in 2016, is set to run for re-election in 2027, seeking a fourth term at the helm of world football's governing body.

Africa wields significant influence within FIFA, with 54 national associations, making it the largest unified voting bloc among the six continental confederations under the world governing body.

Last April, the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) became the first continental body to publicly declare its support for Infantino's re-election, quickly followed by its African counterpart.

However, discontent is growing among some European federations and their allies, with reports suggesting the possibility of a European-backed candidate emerging to challenge Infantino.

Spanish league president Javier Tebas said this week that Infantino's time 'is over,' adding in comments to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport that there is a 'fundamentally flawed system' that allowed him to lead world football for a full decade.

Tebas added: 'They are destroying the football industry that provides tens of thousands of jobs, for an event that lasts only 40 days and involves a minority of players,' referring to the World Cup.