CAF President Patrice Motsepe of South Africa 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 under fire due to FIFA's decision to suspend the suspension of US striker Folarin Balogun during the World Cup that ended on Sunday, as well as the adoption of water breaks and the proposal to expand the global finals 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 "has remained loyal" to Africa and played a key role in developing football on the continent. He continued, "Gianni has played a pivotal role in expanding opportunities for African teams on the global stage," referring to an increase in Africa's World Cup allocation by four additional direct spots, plus one via the intercontinental playoff. The continent was represented in the 2026 edition, which concluded on Sunday with Spain beating Argentina 1-0 in the final after extra time, by a record 10 teams. Infantino, who took over FIFA presidency in 2016 following Swiss Sepp Blatter, is set to stand for re-election in 2027 seeking a fourth term at the helm of world football's governing body. Africa holds significant influence within FIFA, with 54 national associations, making it the largest unified voting bloc among the six continental confederations under FIFA. Last April, South America's CONMEBOL became the first continental confederation to publicly declare its support for Infantino's re-election, before its African counterpart quickly joined the list of his backers. However, discontent is rising among some European associations and their allies, amid reports that a European-backed candidate could emerge 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 has allowed him to lead world football for a decade. Tebas added, "They are destroying the football industry, which 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.