Japan's former World Cup coach Okada quits football body over FIFA politics

Former Japan national football coach Takeshi Okada has resigned as vice-president of the Japan Football Association (JFA), protesting the political developments surrounding FIFA president Gianni Infantino's campaign for a fourth and final term.

The Japanese football body made public Okada's resignation statement on Wednesday, four days after it was dated and shortly after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) reversed its earlier position to endorse Infantino's re-election.

Okada, 70, who guided Japan at the 1998 and 2010 FIFA World Cups, said recent developments surrounding football's global governing body conflicted with his belief that sport must uphold integrity.

He wrote that he had always believed "that sports should embody integrity" but could no longer reconcile that principle with the developments surrounding FIFA.

"However, the series of actions surrounding this year's FIFA World Cup represent a significant divergence from my personal convictions," Okada said in his resignation statement.

"As a sportsman, I cannot accept this," he added.

𝗔𝗙𝗖'𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗹

Okada's departure followed a significant change in the AFC's position on Infantino's leadership.

In August, AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa had joined senior football officials from Europe and North America in criticising Infantino over his proposal to sell investors a permanent stake in future World Cup profits.

The criticism centred on allegations of "deception" and a "fundamental breach of trust" concerning the handling of the proposed investment arrangement.

However, at an AFC assembly in Tokyo last Friday, Sheikh Salman announced that the Asian confederation would support Infantino in the presidential election scheduled for March 18 in Rabat, Morocco.

The announcement marked a reversal that surprised football officials and observers, particularly after the AFC leadership's earlier public objections.

Okada acknowledged the diplomatic and political considerations facing Japanese football, saying he understood that "there are practical reasons for aligning with the AFC's stance."

Japan has ambitions to host another men's World Cup before 2050, a goal previously outlined by JFA president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto.

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝘂𝗽 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝘄

The controversy began with Infantino's proposal to bring private investors into FIFA's commercial operations through an arrangement involving rights linked to major competitions, including the World Cup.

The proposed deal, reportedly worth $4.2 billion, involved investors led by Joshua Kushner, whose brother Jared Kushner is married to US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka.

The initiative drew strong objections from senior football administrators, who questioned the governance process and the implications of transferring a stake in future competition revenues to private investors.

Although the proposal was subsequently abandoned and Infantino apologised, disagreements over his leadership continued.

UEFA has indicated that it intends to identify a challenger before the November 18 deadline for nominations in the FIFA presidential election.

𝗦𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶 𝗔𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗮, 𝗤𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀

Saudi Arabia and Qatar have emerged as influential players in the debate over Infantino's re-election, given their positions within Asian football and their involvement in hosting major international tournaments.

Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup, while Saudi Arabia is scheduled to stage the 2034 edition.

Infantino's recent engagements with Gulf football officials preceded the AFC's announcement of support for his candidacy.

The Asian confederation represents a substantial voting bloc within FIFA, whose 211 member associations will elect the president in March.

𝗝𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗙𝗖

The controversy has also prompted criticism from former FIFA vice-president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan, who questioned the circumstances surrounding the AFC's endorsement.

Prince Ali described the Tokyo meeting as "pure politics at the behest of Gianni Infantino" and disputed suggestions that Asian football associations were united behind the incumbent.

He further alleged that coercion, threats or inducements should have no place in football administration.

The AFC rejected the allegations as unsubstantiated and referred his comments to its judicial bodies for consideration of possible disciplinary action.

The confederation also disputed Prince Ali's assertion that representatives had been prevented from speaking during the meeting.

𝗢𝗸𝗮𝗱𝗮'𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

Okada's resignation has brought the disagreements surrounding Infantino's re-election campaign into sharper focus within Asian football.

His decision is significant given his standing in Japanese football, having coached the national team at two World Cups, including its run to the round of 16 in South Africa in 2010.

While acknowledging the practical considerations behind Japan's relationship with the AFC, Okada maintained that the developments were incompatible with his personal convictions.

The dispute now forms part of a wider debate over FIFA's governance and the influence of regional football confederations ahead of the March 2027 presidential election.