Tashima Announces Candidacy for FIFA Presidency

Kozo Tashima, Honorary President of the Japan Football Association, announced that he will stand in the FIFA presidential election. Speaking on Thursday, Tashima said he would run in the election in March. He will thus be the first Japanese candidate for the top post in world football.

Tashima argued that the biggest problem at FIFA is governance. In an interview with the Japanese newspaper Sports Nippon on Sunday, he said he had received many messages of support and had been contacted by presidents and heads of international units from eight countries, including some outside Asia. He said he has not yet received formal support but is aiming for backing from at least six federations. Candidacy requires nominations from five national federations.

The deadline for candidacy applications is 18 November. It was also recalled that Gianni Infantino, who is seeking a fourth term in the election, faced criticism after his attempt in July to bring private investors into a new commercial company holding the rights to tournaments, including the World Cup, failed. Despite this, Infantino received the backing of the Asian Football Confederation president in October.

Tashima is 68 years old. He has served on the FIFA Council since 2015 and became president of the Japan Football Association the following year. In 2024 he handed the role to Tsuneyasu Miyamoto. He said he currently sees his chances at 20 to 30 percent and wants to raise that to 40 or 50 percent as the campaign progresses.