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

The Italian-Swiss Infantino found himself subject to criticism due to FIFA's decision to suspend a ban on U.S. striker Folarin Balogun during the World Cup that concluded on Sunday, as well as adopting water breaks, and proposing the idea of expanding the global finals to 64 teams after the 2026 edition was held with 48 participants for the first time.

Motsepe told reporters in Johannesburg: 'I admire his deep love for football, his great 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 has 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 spots, along with a slot via the intercontinental playoff.

The continent was represented in the 2026 edition, which concluded on Sunday with Spain defeating Argentina in the final, by a record 10 teams.

Infantino, who took over FIFA's 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 wields significant influence within FIFA, with 54 national associations, making it the largest unified voting bloc among the six continental confederations under the international federation.

Last April, the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) became the first continental confederation to publicly declare its support for Infantino's re-election, with its African counterpart quickly joining the list of supporters as well.

However, discontent is rising among some European federations and their allies, amid reports of a possible European-backed candidate to challenge Infantino.

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