Former president of the Japan Football Association Kozo Tashima to challenge Infantino in FIFA presidential election

Tashima announces his candidacy

Honorary president of the Japan Football Association (JFA) Kozo Tashima announced on Thursday that he intends to challenge incumbent FIFA president Gianni Infantino in the elections scheduled for March 18. “I have decided to run in the FIFA presidential election in order to convey this philosophy to the world and contribute to a better future for football,” Anadolu quotes him as saying. Tashima stressed that he wants to bring to world football the “fairness, sound judgment and high moral standards” that Japanese football has built up over the years.

The candidate's experience and domestic support

The 68-year-old Tashima led the JFA from 2016 to 2024 and has been a member of FIFA's governing body since 2015. According to Japanese media, his candidacy was unanimously backed by members of the national federation's board.

Candidate requirements and Infantino's position

Tashima is the second person to declare an intention to run, after former Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramon Vega. The deadline for applications is November 18. To get on the ballot, candidates must receive nominations from at least five of FIFA's 211 national associations and pass an eligibility check. The elections will be held in Rabat, Morocco, where Infantino will seek re-election. He has faced criticism over an unsuccessful proposal to allow private investment into a FIFA commercial venture based on revenue from major tournaments, including the World Cup, but he has nonetheless received the backing of Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa.