Who is Kozo Tashima, the Japanese official running for FIFA presidency?

Kozo Tashima, a former head of Japan’s football association, has announced he will stand for FIFA president against incumbent Gianni Infantino in an election scheduled for March. He says his candidacy is intended to defend sport’s integrity and give FIFA a contested election, while bringing Japan’s approach to football governance to a global audience.

The 68-year-old began playing after the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and later studied coaching and sports at the German Sport University Cologne, experiences that shaped his work developing Japanese football. Elected Japan Football Association president in 2016, he also served on the Asian Football Confederation executive committee and FIFA Council, and stepped down in 2024. He has criticised FIFA decisions concerning US player Folarin Balogun and travel restrictions on Iran’s World Cup team; the JFA backs his bid.