--- title: "Kozo Tashima Challenges Infantino: UEFA Finds 'Its' Candidate for FIFA President" description: "Honorary President of the Japan Football Association Kozo Tashima has announced his intention to run for FIFA president, challenging Gianni Infantino. His candidacy is being actively promoted by UEFA." date: 2026-11-06T09:51:22.161Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/tashima-challenges-infantino-for-fifa-presidency tags: [fifa, infantino, tashima, uefa, football-elections, afc] author: "Andrey Kosynko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Kozo Tashima Challenges Infantino: UEFA Finds 'Its' Candidate for FIFA President ![Honorary President of the Japan Football Association Kozo Tashima clapping at an official event.](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/06/tashima-brosit-vyzov-infantino-na-vyborah-prezidenta-fifa/tashima-brosit-vyzov-infantino-na-vyborah-prezidenta-fifa-1.webp) ## Key Points - Honorary President of the Japan Football Association Kozo Tashima has announced his intention to run for FIFA president against incumbent Gianni Infantino. - UEFA has been looking for a non-European candidate for months and views Tashima as its contender; he became the second official candidate after Ramon Vega. - Infantino, who has led FIFA since February 2016, confirmed his bid for a fourth term and relies on support from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the African and South American confederations. - The application deadline is November 18, 2026, and the election will take place on March 18, 2027, in Rabat, Morocco; to appear on the ballot, support from at least five of 211 national associations is required. Honorary President of the Japan Football Association Kozo Tashima has officially announced his intention to run for the presidency of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), thereby throwing a direct challenge to the incumbent president Gianni Infantino. The Japanese official, who has led his organization since February 2016 and is aiming for his fourth term, has for the first time faced a real, rather than symbolic, rival specifically fielded by the European football establishment. According to reports, Tashima has already secured the support of influential allies in Europe, making his figure a pivotal one in an election race that will shape the future of world football for the coming years. ### Who is Kozo Tashima and why him Kozo Tashima is no random figure in this story. A former Japan national team player and current member of the FIFA Council, he possesses both experience on the pitch and a long-standing administrative background, making him recognizable to a broad football audience. In a statement to Sports Nippon, he justified his move with a value-based message: "For me, it is important to convey to the football world the honesty, reliability, and high moral standards that Japanese football has developed and maintained for many years. I decided to run for FIFA president to present these values to the world and contribute to a better future for football." Thus, the campaign is built on the image of a "clean" candidate contrasted with the Swiss leader's long-standing rule. ### The UEFA Strategy: A Non-European Candidate Behind Tashima’s nomination lies a carefully calibrated strategy by the European Football Union, which has been seeking a rival for Infantino for several months. UEFA concluded that a candidate from outside Europe has a better chance of gaining support, as there is lingering discontent in many regions regarding the dominance of European football in FIFA management. This is why European officials purposefully focused on a figure from Asia. According to reports, Tashima has many allies in Europe and conducted talks with UEFA representatives last month during the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) congress in Tokyo. Previously, at the World Football Summit in Madrid and after the UEFA Executive Committee meeting in Thessaloniki, the European side publicly confirmed that it was actively searching for a worthy opponent for Infantino. ### Fracture within Asia and the Incumbent's Support Tashima’s nomination, however, carries the risk of a significant rift within the Asian Football Confederation itself. AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa has publicly supported Infantino, which means that a portion of Asian votes will remain with the incumbent president despite the emergence of a "regional" candidate. The current FIFA head, in turn, relies on a stable coalition: support from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as well as the African and South American confederations. Thus, the race is turning into a standoff between two blocks, where Tashima's European project will have to sway votes in at least some of the regions traditionally loyal to Infantino. ### Competitive Field and Election Timeline Tashima became the second official contender for the post after former Tottenham defender Ramon Vega. At the same time, other figures were previously considered in Europe: in particular, it became known that Arsène Wenger will not run for FIFA president, despite the fact that Infantino’s opponents saw him as a potential candidate. To make it onto the ballot, each candidate must secure the support of at least five of the 211 national associations that are members of FIFA. The deadline for applications is November 18, 2026, and the FIFA presidential election will be held on March 18, 2027, in Rabat, Morocco. ### Context: What is at Stake The stakes in this campaign go far beyond personal competition. On September 12, Gianni Infantino officially confirmed his intention to run for a fourth term, stating: "My program is very simple, yet very clear: 'Football belongs to everyone, everywhere in the world.' We want to close the gap between big players and the rest." If he wins, his total tenure at the head of FIFA will reach 15 years; the formal 12-year limit does not apply to him because his first period (2016–2019) is considered the completion of Sepp Blatter’s interrupted mandate and is not counted toward the limit. Under Infantino’s leadership over the years, FIFA has noticeably increased its commercial scale: the World Cup was expanded, a new Club World Cup format was launched, record sponsorship contracts were signed, and payments to national associations increased to $8 million each. Against this backdrop, the appearance of Tashima, promoted with an emphasis on "moral standards," is perceived as an attempt by European football to regain influence over the agenda of an organization that has increasingly been associated with the interests of the Middle East and global commercial projects in recent years. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [УЕФА нашел амбициозного соперника для Инфантино: кто бросит вызов президенту ФИФА](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/uefa-znayshov-ambitnogo-supernika-infantino-1793958189.html) - Primary source: Tashima's nomination, quote from Sports Nippon, talks with UEFA at the AFC congress in Tokyo, Infantino's support by AFC president, status as second candidate after Ramon Vega, deadline 11/18/2026 and election 03/18/2027 in Rabat, threshold of 5 of 211 associations. - [Европа ищет соперника для Инфантино: кто может стать новым руководителем ФИФА](https://www.vedomosti.ru/sport/football/articles/2026/09/13/1228437-kto-mozhet-pretendovat-na-post-prezidenta-fifa) - Context: Infantino's confirmation on September 12 regarding a fourth term, quote about the program, the 12-year limit issue and the exclusion of the 2016–2019 period, FIFA commercial metrics ($8m payments, revenue growth). - [В УЕФА заявили, что находятся в активном поиске достойного соперника Инфантино на выборах](https://www.mk.ru/sport/2026/09/17/v-uefa-zayavili-chto-nakhodyatsya-v-aktivnom-poiske-dostoynogo-sopernika-infantino-na-vyborakh.html) - Confirms UEFA’s active search for an opponent at the World Football Summit in Madrid and after the Executive Committee meeting in Thessaloniki. - [В Европе уверены, что найдут соперника для Инфантино на выборах президента ФИФА. Венгер не будет ...](https://www.sports.ru/football/1117402036-v-evrope-uvereny-chto-najdut-sopernika-dlya-infantino-na-vyborax-prezi.html) - Clarifies the competitive field: Arsène Wenger will not run, despite interest from Infantino's opponents. ## FAQ ### Who is Kozo Tashima and why is he running for FIFA president? Kozo Tashima is the Honorary President of the Japan Football Association, a former Japan national team player, and a member of the FIFA Council. He announced his intention to challenge incumbent president Gianni Infantino, citing a desire to bring "honesty, reliability, and high moral standards" to world football. ### Why does UEFA support a non-European candidate? According to reports, UEFA concluded that a non-European candidate has a better chance of gaining support, as there is discontent in many regions regarding European dominance in FIFA governance. ### Who is Tashima’s main rival and who does he rely on? The main rival is incumbent FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has led the organization since February 2016 and is seeking a fourth term. He relies on support from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the African and South American confederations; AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa has publicly supported Infantino. ### What are the deadlines for applications and the election date? The application deadline is November 18, 2026, and the FIFA presidential election will be held on March 18, 2027, in Rabat, Morocco. To be included on the ballot, a candidate needs the support of at least five of the 211 national associations. ### How many official candidates for FIFA president are there currently? Kozo Tashima is the second official contender after former Tottenham defender Ramon Vega. Arsène Wenger, who was previously seen as a possible candidate, will not be running.