Takeshi Okada has resigned as vice-president of the Japan Football Association (JFA), saying developments involving FIFA and the World Cup conflict with his principles on integrity in sport. The association announced his departure on 28 October, effective from 24 October: the day after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) extraordinary congress in Tokyo, where its president, Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, endorsed Gianni Infantino’s re-election. His resignation adds another dissenting voice to the backing announced in Tokyo, which was also challenged by Jordan Football Association president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, who rejected claims that Asia was united behind Infantino and criticised the political conduct of the congress.
“Guided by my belief that sports should embody integrity, I have always valued their social significance,” Okada explained in the JFA statement. “However, the series of actions surrounding this year’s FIFA World Cup represent a significant divergence from my personal convictions. As a sportsman, I cannot accept this, which has led me to make this decision.” He also acknowledged the circumstances facing his association: “Given the relationship with the Asian Football Confederation and the impact on Japanese soccer, I understand that there are practical reasons for aligning with the AFC’s stance.”
Differences within Japan
Japanese reporting links the resignation to a disagreement with the approach taken by JFA president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto. According to ‘Nikkan Sports’, reporting on 29 October and citing sources familiar with the situation, Okada had urged the association to take a more critical position towards FIFA and disagreed with its alignment with Infantino. His departure cuts short a term that was due to run until March 2028. After the congress, Miyamoto had indicated that coordinating with the AFC was Japan’s starting position, while acknowledging that several factors needed consideration before deciding whether to support Infantino.
‘Yomiuri Shimbun’ provides a specific example. According to its sources, Okada had asked the JFA to take a position on the deferral of a suspension imposed on a US player during the World Cup, after United States president Donald Trump reportedly asked Infantino to review the decision. The newspaper links Okada’s dissatisfaction to the Japanese association’s response to that episode. His request for an institutional position helps explain the substance of the disagreement: how Japan should respond to decisions affecting the competition’s credibility.
An endorsement that leaves divisions unresolved
Salman’s declaration in Tokyo had shifted the political balance around Infantino. The AFC moved from questioning his management over the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project, which proposed opening part of the competitions business to private investors, to supporting another term. The plan had prompted coordinated criticism from leaders of the AFC, UEFA and Concacaf before it was withdrawn. Infantino apologised for the initiative, but the Asian confederation leadership’s rapprochement has not ended differences over his presidency.
The other dispute following the congress concerns Jordan Football Association president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein. Ali challenged the claimed Asian unity behind Infantino and alleged restrictions on speaking at the meeting, while also referring to coercion, threats and bribery. The AFC rejected those allegations, maintained that no representative had requested the floor and referred his statements to its judicial bodies. The Jordanian protest and Japanese resignation represent two different responses to the shift announced in Tokyo: a public challenge to the conduct of the congress and a departure from an association’s leadership over differences of principle.
A significant departure for Japanese football
Okada, 70, coached Japan at its first World Cup, France 1998, and again at South Africa 2010, where the team reached the round of 16. He served as vice-president between 2016 and 2018 and returned to the role in March 2022. According to ‘Yomiuri Shimbun’, he had supported Miyamoto since the latter became president in 2024. The split therefore affects an established working relationship at the top of the association and brings the early departure of one of its leaders with the most extensive sporting experience.
The electoral stakes explain the importance of Asian support. The AFC includes 46 of FIFA’s 211 voting member associations, with the presidential election scheduled for 18 March 2027 in Rabat, Morocco. The deadline for nominations is 18 November, and UEFA is working to find an alternative to Infantino. Within that timetable, the positions adopted by national associations will show how much support Salman’s announced direction commands and how much room remains for those seeking a change of president.
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