Gianni Infantino faces his first serious challenger for the FIFA presidency after Japanese football chief Kohzo Tashima announced his intention to stand in March’s election.
Tashima, a member of the FIFA Council and honorary president of the Japan Football Association (JFA), will have the backing of his national association and is expected to secure the five endorsements required to become an official candidate.
UEFA is working to prevent Infantino from securing another term. It is expected to overwhelmingly back Tashima if he emerges as the incumbent’s only challenger.
In that scenario, the Japanese could also attract support from anti-Infantino factions within the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF.
The AFC’s position remains significant. President Sheikh Salman performed a U-turn two weeks ago to back Infantino at the confederation’s Congress.
FIFA’s 211 member associations will vote in the election, and a candidate requires at least 106 votes to win. The deadline for candidates to declare their intention to stand is November 18.
Tashima is a former Japan international who went on to coach the country’s Under-17 and Under-20 national teams before moving into football administration. He has held several senior positions within the JFA, including general secretary, vice-president and president, and he has also served on the AFC’s executive committee.
Can Tashima beat Infantino, and could Wenger enter the race?
One commentator said that Tashima “certainly gives Gianni Infantino something to worry about”, adding that Infantino would much prefer to stand unopposed.
He questioned whether Tashima would win the support he needs. “You have to remember how FIFA’s presidential election works. FIFA has 211 members, and each national association has one vote. So you need the backing of 106 FAs to win.”
He expects Tashima to draw heavily from Europe if he is Infantino’s only challenger. “He can count on almost all of UEFA’s 55 votes.”
He also expects Tashima to pick up votes across Asia, even though the AFC has backed Infantino. “Originally, Sheikh Salman was anti-Infantino, but at the confederation’s Congress he announced they would back the FIFA president. But that doesn’t mean all of Asia are going to support Infantino. So I think Tashima can pick up some support there as well. He can also attract backing in CONCACAF, across North and Central America, and perhaps a few votes in the Caribbean. Can he get to 106? I’m not so sure.”
He said the coming weeks will show whether another candidate emerges. There has been considerable speculation that Arsène Wenger could enter the race. Wenger, a legendary figure who managed Arsenal, currently serves as FIFA’s chief of global football development. “I think if he were to come out and stand, that would make real, real headlines. That would be front-page news.”
He added that Wenger would have a good chance, even if he may not have the numbers to beat Infantino. He pointed to Infantino’s own rise. When Infantino first won the presidency 10 years ago, he was not the favourite and was not expected to stand. He entered the race only because Michel Platini had to drop out.
At present, Infantino appears to be the favourite despite the controversies and scandals surrounding him. “So lots of things can change. Watch this space, because sometimes FIFA presidential elections can be very, very exciting.”