Kohzo Tashima announces candidacy to challenge Gianni Infantino for FIFA presidency
Japan Football Association figure Kohzo Tashima has declared his candidacy for the FIFA presidency, setting up the first serious challenge to incumbent Gianni Infantino ahead of the March 2027 election in Morocco.
Kohzo Tashima, a senior figure in Japanese football, has announced he will stand for the presidency of FIFA, the sport's world governing body, setting up the first serious challenge to the incumbent, Gianni Infantino. The election is scheduled for March 2027 and will take place in Morocco, according to the reporting available on the announcement.
Tashima is honorary president of the Japan Football Association. Reports differ on how his role should be described, with some sources calling him the chief of the association and others naming him honorary president. Either way, the Japanese federation is one of the most prominent national bodies in Asian football, and Tashima's candidacy brings a figure from that tradition into a contest for the top job in world football.
Infantino has led FIFA for several years and is seeking to remain in office. The announcement means his re-election can no longer be treated as a formality. Tashima's entry is described as the first serious challenge the current president has faced, and it introduces a genuine contest into a race that had until now lacked a credible rival.
The vote is set for March 2027, which leaves a period of campaigning in which candidates will seek the support of the national associations that hold voting rights within FIFA. The choice of Morocco as the venue places the contest on the African continent, whose football federations form a significant bloc within the organisation. Holding the ballot there means the candidates will need to win over a constituency that has its own regional priorities and its own voice in FIFA's governance.
The candidacy also raises the stakes for FIFA's internal politics at a time when the organisation's leadership, governance and relationship with its member associations are under constant scrutiny. A contested election would test the support Infantino has built across the federations and show whether a challenger from Japan can attract enough backing to unseat a sitting president. For Tashima, the bid carries the weight of a national federation that has become a respected presence in Asian and world football, and the campaign will show whether that standing translates into votes beyond his home confederation.
Taken together, the announcement turns what had looked like a settled succession into an open race, and the months before the March 2027 ballot will determine how much support each side can command across FIFA's membership.
Source: skysports.com
5
