Former Japan national team coach Takeshi Okada has resigned as vice-president of the Japan Football Association (JFA), citing disagreements with recent developments involving FIFA and the organisation of the 2026 World Cup.
Okada’s resignation comes amid growing controversy surrounding FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s bid for re-election and the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) decision to support him for another term.
The development followed an extraordinary AFC congress held in Tokyo, where AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa announced the confederation’s backing for Infantino’s re-election. The endorsement marked a significant shift from the AFC’s position three months earlier, when it accused FIFA of a “fundamental breach of trust” over a proposed investment arrangement involving the sale of a stake in FIFA competitions through the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project.
Explaining his decision in a statement published on the JFA website, Okada said his resignation was guided by his commitment to integrity and the wider social importance of sports.
He noted that recent developments surrounding this year’s FIFA World Cup had moved significantly away from his personal principles, making it difficult for him to remain in his position.
“As a sportsman, I cannot accept this,” Okada said, explaining that the situation had ultimately led him to resign.
The former coach also acknowledged the practical considerations behind the Japanese football authorities’ relationship with the AFC. According to Okada, maintaining ties with the continental governing body could influence decisions affecting Japanese football.
However, his comments indicated that the association’s position on the matter conflicted with his personal convictions.
Infantino, who became FIFA president in 2016, is seeking another term in the election scheduled for March. His re-election campaign comes after he apologised over a failed private investment project.
Support from the AFC could prove important to his ambitions, given Asia’s significant voting strength within FIFA’s presidential election process.
Okada is one of Japan’s most prominent football figures, having managed the country’s national team at the 1998 and 2010 FIFA World Cups.
Although Japan failed to progress beyond the group stage at France 1998, Okada led the team to the round of 16 at the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
His resignation from the JFA leadership marks a notable development in Japanese football as disagreements over FIFA’s direction and leadership continue to attract attention across the international game.
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