FIFA President Gianni Infantino said he was proud, honoured and humbled after receiving the Diamond of Asia - the most esteemed accolade in Asian football - during a glittering Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Annual Awards in Seoul, Korea Republic. The award, presented to him by AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa during the event at the iconic Grand Peace Palace at Kyung Hee University, was in recognition of his unwavering support towards the development of Asian and world football. Asia has become a centre of global football, hosting the hugely successful FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and co-hosting the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023™ as well as recent editions of the FIFA Club World Cup™ and FIFA age-group, futsal and beach soccer competitions. These have included groundbreaking moments such as the FIFA Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan 2024™, the first FIFA tournament to be held in Central Asia, and the FIFA U-17 World Cup Indonesia 2023™, the first FIFA tournament to be held in Indonesia.

"I am proud, honoured and humbled to be the recipient of the prestigious AFC Diamond of Asia accolade at the AFC Annual Awards 2023 in Seoul, Korea Republic," the FIFA President said. "While this is a recognition of my work as FIFA President, it is also symbolic of the dedication and hard work of all our stakeholders in Asia who work tirelessly to use football as a beacon of hope and opportunity for everyone, inclusively. “I thank the AFC, led by President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, and all of you from the bottom of my heart. This award belongs as much to me as to all of you - so all the Presidents, General Secretaries, officials, referees, players and fans, simply all the people of Asia. I am further motivated to continue working with you to take football in Asia to the top of the world."

In presenting the award, Shaikh Salman said the AFC was "forever grateful to President Infantino for his steadfast support and dedication towards strengthening the beautiful game across our great continent". He added: “His devotion and passion for the game and commitment to the reforms agenda have left a remarkable imprint not only in restoring worldwide confidence and belief in our sport, but also in unifying our global football family, including Asia, and we are extremely honoured to be celebrating his remarkable contributions to Asian football.”

He thanked Mr Infantino for FIFA's support during the COVID-19 pandemic and said that the expansion of FIFA tournaments under Mr Infantino's presidency, giving more national teams opportunities to play on the global stage at all age levels, had played an important part in raising the level of Asian football. “The solid foundations we find ourselves in today are a tribute to President Infantino’s capabilities and wisdom,” he said. “Now, the stage is set for an expanded FIFA World Cup in 2026 where a record minimum of eight Asian teams will compete in the global spectacle, reinforcing the message that football is truly global, which ultimately augurs well for our ambitions to solidify football as the number one sport on the continent.”