KEIR RADNEDGE REPORTS: Kozo Tashima, honorary president of the Japan Football Association, has become the second would-be challenger to FIFA president Gianni Infantino ahead of the election at congress in Rabat, Morocco, next March.

Earlier this week Ramon Vega, the former Switzerland defender, announced an intention to run but Tashima, widely respected, is fafr more likely to obtain the five national FA endorsements needed to contest the ballot.

Infantino, who has led FIFA since taking over from Sepp Blatter in 2016, had been widely anticipated to stand unopposed. However, growing dissatisfaction over governance and centralised power created an appetite for an alternative leadership model.

Following a unanimous endorsement from the JFA board in Tokyo, Tashima stepped forward as the first Japanese administrator to seek football’s highest office.

Tashima is framing his bid as a moral imperative rather than a mere power play. He said: “The worst thing that can happen is he [Infantino] is re-elected to the post without an election. It is an important test of whether FIFA possesses the capacity for self-correction.”

Tashima’s decision emerges against a backdrop of heightened friction within international football governance. Infantino’s recent attempts to explore private investment stakes in World Cup revenues triggered backlash across European, North American, and Asian football federations, forcing a swift retreat.

Concerns surrounding transparent decision-making and wealth distribution have added fuel to global administrative unease. Infantino has been further damaged by revelations of his pursuit of travel perks for his wife, daughters and even pet dog.

The Asian football confederation recently undertook a U-turn to promise support for Infantino who remains favoured by FIFA’s one-nation, one-vote system across its 211 member associations.

Tashima is expected to draw substantial support from European governing body UEFA alongside dissatisfied federations within CONCACAF and Asia seeking reform. Securing the 106 votes required for victory presents a formidable challenge, but Tashima’s entry fundamentally shifts the dynamic from a coronation into a competitive debate over the sport’s future.

Beyond the political manoeuvring, Tashima’s bid represents a philosophical clash over how the world’s most popular sport should be run. Where Infantino’s tenure has emphasised rapid commercial expansion, expanded global tournaments, and financial centralisation, Tashima promises a return to institutional integrity, fiscal transparency, and consensus-based governance.

He said: “It’s not about winning or losing but about conveying to the world the honest, sound and upright attitude that Japanese football has built.”

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