Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia will remain the most powerful man in Argentine football for the foreseeable future. On Sunday, the Argentine Football Associaction’s (AFA’s) filing deadline came and went with no new candidates for president, meaning Tapia will run opposed and retain his title until at least 2028.

“This list is made up of the best leaders of Argentine football,” said Tapia of AFA’s newly announced board of directors. “The new members have a great commitment to work so that we can improve our football. Our gratitude is complete.”

The new term is set to be ratified by the AFA Assembly on October 17 and will officially begin in March 2025.

In a major development, AFA revealed that Boca Juniors President Juan Román Riquelme will join the board as one of its six vice presidents. The Xeneize chief is a close ally to Tapia, having recently described him as “one of the greatest leaders in the history of Argentine football, alongside [Julio Humberto] Grondona.”

Tapia has been at the forefront of AFA’s feud with the Javier Milei administration over the legalization of private sports corporations (SADs, by its Spanish acronym) in Argentina, aiming to maintain the country’s current system of nonprofit civil associations.

During the organization’s 2023 year-end celebrations, the AFA president made several thinly veiled remarks on the matter, declaring that “whatever comes, it will find us defending the institutions we cherish and believe in.” In September 2024, AFA claimed a judicial win over Milei after a court temporarily suspended a presidential decree that would have established  a private sports corporation model.

Tapia first won the AFA presidency in 2017 with the support of several lower-tier clubs and perennial powerhouses like Boca, Independiente, and Racing. Many doubted his credentials, given that he only previously served as president of Barracas Central, but Tapia has overseen Argentina’s Lionel Scaloni-led renaissance, which has included wins at the 2021 and 2024 Copa América and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.