FIFA president Gianni Infantino received support from several South American football bodies on Friday as he visited Colombia during a difficult period for FIFA.
Infantino arrived in Cali early on Friday. He travelled to Colombia to attend the inauguration of President Abelardo de la Espriella.
Photos released by the Colombian Football Federation showed Infantino with CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez and Colombian federation president Ramon Jesurun.
The visit came after FIFA faced strong criticism over a plan to allow private investment in the World Cup. FIFA later dropped the proposal.
Infantino has led FIFA since 2016. The 56 year old did not answer when an AFP journalist asked whether he believed FIFA’s recent problems were over.
He later attended a children’s football festival at a sports complex in Cali.
“It is a joy to be here today,” Infantino told the children at the event.
“Football is joy, football is happiness, football is unity,” he said.
Infantino also said that “so many champions” were born “in this part of the world, in this part of Colombia.”
Infantino is expected to seek a fourth and final term as FIFA president in Rabat next March.
He continues to face criticism from UEFA. The European football body maintained its threat to boycott the World Cup on Thursday, even after FIFA dropped its private investment plan.
CONMEBOL had also raised concerns over FIFA’s recent decisions.
The South American body said on Thursday that it was concerned about the “repeated unilateral actions taken” by FIFA.
However, Dominguez offered his support to Infantino a day later.
Speaking to Colombian media, the CONMEBOL president said “one cannot ignore the great work” done by Infantino.
“We must continue working for football through dialogue; it is not necessary to always agree,” Dominguez added.
Infantino also received support from more South American football bodies.
The Argentine Football Association and the Paraguayan federation backed him on Thursday. The football federations of Venezuela and Ecuador followed on Friday.
The federations welcomed FIFA’s decision to drop the plan for FIFA Forward Enterprise. The proposed commercial body would have allowed private investors to become involved.
Ecuadorian federation president Francisco Egas Larreategui also sent a letter to Infantino.
He said he had confidence in Infantino “as well as in those currently leading football to continue working for the good of our sport”.
Infantino later attended De la Espriella’s inauguration ceremony in Cali.
The visit came as Infantino tries to rebuild support and ease tensions inside world football ahead of FIFA’s next presidential election.
