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 and 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.
FIFA’s 211 member associations will vote in the election, and a candidate needs at least 106 votes to win. The deadline for candidates to declare their intention to stand is November 18.
A former international with a long administrative record
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?
Analysis of the contest suggests Infantino would prefer to stand unopposed, but doubts remain over whether Tashima can gather enough support. “Kohzo Tashima certainly gives Gianni Infantino something to worry about. I think Infantino would much prefer to stand unopposed,” the commentary states.
The same analysis notes the arithmetic involved. “You need the backing of 106 FAs to win. Now, I think Tashima, if he is Infantino’s only challenger, will have the overwhelming backing of Europe. He can count on almost all of UEFA’s 55 votes.”
Asia presents a more complicated picture. The AFC’s president, Sheikh Salman, performed a U-turn two weeks ago. Originally anti-Infantino, he announced at the confederation’s Congress that the AFC would back the FIFA president. Even so, the analysis suggests that “doesn’t mean all of Asia are going to support Infantino”, and Tashima could pick up votes there. He may also attract backing in CONCACAF, across North and Central America, and perhaps a few Caribbean votes. “Can he get to 106? I’m not so sure.”
Could Wenger enter the race?
Attention has also turned to Arsene Wenger, who currently serves as FIFA’s chief of global football development. There has been considerable talk of him potentially entering the race. A late entry from the former Arsenal manager would make major headlines. “That would be front-page news,” the analysis states, although it adds that it is unclear whether Wenger would have the numbers to beat Infantino.
The analysis also points to history as a reminder that FIFA elections can turn quickly. 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. For now, Infantino appears to be the favourite despite ongoing controversies and scandals, but as the analysis concludes, “sometimes FIFA presidential elections can be very, very exciting.”