Top Japan FA official to stand against Infantino for FIFA presidency

What the report says

Kozo Tashima, the honorary president of the Japan Football Association, said he will run against Gianni Infantino in FIFA’s presidential election scheduled for March. According to Al Jazeera’s report based on AFP, Tashima is the second declared challenger, after former Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramon Vega. Tashima is 68 and previously served as JFA president from 2016 to 2024, and he has also sat on the FIFA Council.

In a statement, Tashima said he is entering the race with the backing of the JFA and wants to promote the values he associates with Japanese football, including sincerity, integrity and high ethical standards. He also said he wants to use his experience to help the wider development of world football.

The report says candidates have until November 18 to declare. Infantino is seeking a fourth and final term as FIFA president. He has faced criticism over a shelved World Cup selloff plan, but remains in a strong position after the Asian Football Confederation endorsed him last month. He has said he has support from the vast majority of member associations, while dismissing calls for him to step aside.

The contest matters because FIFA leadership shapes global football governance, commercial decisions and major tournament policy, making even a limited field of challengers politically significant.