Infantino’s Japanese challenger claims he could unseat FIFA president

The latest challenger to FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s re-election bid, Kozo Tashima, believes he has a 20 to 30 percent chance of winning the coveted seat in global football. Tashima, the honorary president of the Japan Football Association (JFA), said governance is FIFA’s biggest problem as he outlined his platform for next year’s presidential election on Sunday.

Tashima announced on Thursday that he intended to run in the March election , becoming the first Japanese candidate to seek world football’s top job. The 68-year-old former Japan international has served on the FIFA Council since 2015 and became JFA president the following year before being succeeded by Tsuneyasu Miyamoto in 2024.

“I’ve been contacted by presidents and international department officials from eight countries, including some outside Asia,” he said. “While I haven’t received any formal endorsements yet, I’m getting a positive response.