Kozo Tashima Joins FIFA Presidential Race Challenging Gianni Infantino

Kozo Tashima, the honorary president of the Japan Football Association, has announced that he will run for the FIFA presidential election. This move sets him up as a challenger to the current president, Gianni Infantino.

Tashima, who is 68 years old, has been a member of the FIFA Council and has experience as both an international football player and coach. His decision to enter the race has the full support of the Japan Football Association (JFA).

In his announcement, Tashima expressed his desire to promote values such as integrity and high moral standards in football, which he believes Japanese football has upheld. He stated, “I have decided to run for FIFA presidential election in order to convey this philosophy to the world and contribute to a better future for football.”

JFA president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto described Tashima’s candidacy as a significant challenge aimed at improving global football through Tashima’s extensive experience.

Tashima’s announcement comes as Infantino faces criticism over his leadership, particularly regarding a controversial initiative called FIFA Forward Enterprise, which involved selling parts of World Cup commercial interests to private investors. This proposal was abandoned in July after widespread opposition.

Despite the controversies, Infantino has maintained strong support, claiming he has the backing of the majority of the football community. His position was bolstered when the Asian Football Confederation formally endorsed him for another term.

With Tashima’s entry into the race, the competition is heating up. The first candidate to announce their run was former Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramon Vega. All candidates must have the support of at least five FIFA member associations, with nominations closing on November 18.