Kozo Tashima has declared he will run for FIFA president, setting up a direct challenge to incumbent Gianni Infantino.
The race for the top job in world football has a new name. Japan's Kozo Tashima has announced he will stand in FIFA's upcoming presidential election, putting himself up against incumbent Gianni Infantino.
Infantino has run the global governing body since 2016, so any rival faces the task of unseating a leader who knows the federation's inner workings. Tashima's declaration signals that at least one figure in the game wants to offer voters an alternative.
A candidacy is only the first step. Challengers have to clear FIFA's eligibility process and win support from member associations, whose votes ultimately decide the outcome at the Congress. How much backing Tashima can build across the confederations will shape whether his bid becomes a serious contest or stays a symbolic challenge.
More details on his platform, his priorities and the formal timeline should emerge in the coming weeks. For now, the incumbent has an declared opponent, and the campaign has begun.
