Takeshi Okada resigned as vice president of the Japanese soccer federation in protest at the politics surrounding FIFA and Gianni Infantino's campaign for re-election, the federation said on Oct 28, 2026.
Okada, who coached Japan at the 1998 and 2010 World Cups, wrote the resignation statement on Oct 24. The Japan Football Association published it four days later, 24 hours after the Asian Football Confederation reversed course and publicly backed Infantino.
Infantino is seeking a fourth and final term as president at an election on March 18, 2027, in Rabat, Morocco. He has faced criticism since July 2026 over a failed plan to sell a stake in World Cup commercial rights, and over a management style that includes close ties to U.S. President Donald Trump.
The backlash came from soccer leaders in Europe, North America and, at first, Asia. Okada, 70, wrote that he believed "sports should embody integrity."
“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.”Takeshi Okada, former Japan coach and JFA vice president
Okada said he understood the political pressures on Japan within FIFA and Asia, writing that there were "practical reasons for aligning with the AFC's stance." Japan wants to host the men's World Cup before 2050, JFA president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto said at an October 2023 online meeting of the AFC that endorsed Saudi Arabia's bid for the 2034 tournament.
How the AFC changed position
AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa joined FIFA's other vice presidents in August 2026 in criticizing Infantino. UEFA's Aleksander Ceferin and CONCACAF's Victor Montagliani accused him of "deception" and a "fundamental breach of trust" over the push to sell a permanent share of World Cup profits.
Infantino had lined up a $4.2 billion deal with private investors led by Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of Jared Kushner, who is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka. He never lost the support of Qatar, host of the 2022 World Cup, and appeared to regain the trust of Saudi Arabia, host in 2034, which had withheld public backing before hosting him in Jeddah in October 2026.
The two Gulf states are major power brokers in Asian soccer. On Oct 23, Sheikh Salman, a member of Bahrain's royal family, told an AFC assembly in Tokyo that the confederation would now endorse Infantino, surprising observers around the world.
The AFC holds 46 of the 211 FIFA member federations that will vote in March. The members effectively own FIFA, a Switzerland-based non-profit, and Infantino has promised each $25 million for development projects and operating costs over the next four years. UEFA has committed to fielding a candidate against him by a FIFA deadline of Nov 18.
Prince Ali accuses AFC of coercion
Fallout from the Tokyo meetings ran into the week. Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan, a former FIFA vice president, wrote on social media that the final AFC session on Oct 23 was "pure politics at the behest of Gianni Infantino." Prince Ali was one of four candidates against Infantino in the 2016 FIFA election.
He said Asia was not united behind the incumbent and added: "No amount of coercion, threats or bribes should be allowed." The AFC called the claims "unsubstantiated" and disputed his assertion that no member had been allowed to speak from the floor.
“Such serious accusations must be supported by credible evidence.”Asian Football Confederation, statement
The confederation referred Prince Ali's comments to its judicial officials for possible disciplinary action.