FIFA President Gianni Infantino faces his first serious challenge for re-election, with Japanese football official Kohzo Tashima preparing to contest the presidency amid growing criticism of the governing body's leadership.
Tashima, a member of the FIFA Council and a longtime colleague of Infantino, intends to run against the incumbent in next March's election, Japanese media reported Thursday following a meeting of the Japan Football Association (JFA).
The 68-year-old is the first credible challenger to emerge since Infantino triggered widespread opposition in July with a controversial proposal to sell private investors stakes in future World Cup profits.
"The worst thing that can happen is he (Infantino) is re-elected to the post without an election," Tashima was quoted as saying by business newspaper Nikkei.
The multibillion-dollar investment proposal was abandoned within days following a backlash from football officials across Europe, Asia and North America, as well as FIFA employees.
Infantino and FIFA have also faced questions over the integrity of disciplinary decisions involving World Cup matches, including cases concerning Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo, United States forward Folarin Balogun and Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi.
According to the Asahi newspaper, Tashima formally expressed his intention to enter the presidential race, with JFA board members unanimously agreeing to support his candidacy. Sports newspaper Nikkan Sports also reported the development.
"It’s not win or lose, but we must show the rest of the world the sincere, sound, and noble approach of Japanese football," Tashima was quoted as saying by Sponichi Annex.
The JFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
Tashima's potential candidacy comes at a time of growing political divisions within Asian football, where Japan has maintained considerable influence in FIFA and continental administration over the past 15 years despite the increasing power of Gulf nations, particularly Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
A disagreement emerged last month after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which had criticized Infantino in August, reversed its position and announced its support for the FIFA president.
The political tensions also contributed to the departure of JFA Vice President Takeshi Okada, who resigned last week. Okada, who coached Japan at the 1998 and 2010 World Cups, stepped down amid concerns over the politics surrounding Infantino's efforts to consolidate support for another term.
Following an AFC meeting in Tokyo two weeks ago, Tashima told the confederation's president, Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, that he could not support Infantino, Sponichi Annex reported Thursday.
A former Japan international midfielder and JFA president, Tashima has served on FIFA's ruling council since 2015, when Sepp Blatter was still president. He is regarded as a respected and diplomatic administrator who has maintained a relatively low profile in football's often contentious political landscape.
To enter the presidential race, candidates must secure formal backing from at least five of FIFA's 211 member associations. The election is scheduled for March 18 in Rabat, Morocco.
All candidates must also undergo an eligibility review by a three-member panel appointed by FIFA. Its decisions can subsequently be challenged at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Infantino is expected to face further scrutiny over his pursuit of another term, which would keep him in office until 2031 and extend his presidency to 15 years.
FIFA statutes limit presidents to three full terms, or 12 years. However, legal advice obtained by the organization in 2022 concluded that Infantino's initial 2016-19 term should not count toward that limit because he was completing the unfinished mandate of Blatter, who resigned amid a corruption scandal.
European football's governing body, UEFA, has been leading efforts to identify a candidate capable of challenging Infantino before the Nov. 18 deadline for entering the contest.
It remained unclear Thursday whether UEFA had formally endorsed Tashima. The organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
UEFA previously adopted a similar strategy during the 2015 FIFA presidential election, initially supporting three candidates against Blatter. Portugal great Luis Figo and Dutch football official Michael van Praag later withdrew, leaving Jordan's Prince Ali bin Al Hussain as the remaining challenger.
Figo, now a senior adviser to UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, has remained an outspoken critic of Infantino's leadership. In September, Ceferin compared the FIFA president to the emperor in the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, adding: "Football has no need for emperors."