Takeshi Okada resigns as Japan FA vice-president in protest over Infantino re-election politics

Japan Football Association vice-president Takeshi Okada resigned on October 24 in protest at the politics surrounding FIFA president Gianni Infantino's re-election campaign, the JFA said in a statement published on Wednesday. The former Japan coach said recent developments around FIFA and this year's World Cup conflicted with his conviction that sport should be guided by integrity.

The JFA published Okada's resignation statement on Wednesday, dated October 24, a day after the Asian Football Confederation publicly backed Infantino for another term. Infantino is seeking a fourth and final term in an election scheduled for March 18 in Rabat, Morocco. Okada, who led Japan at the 1998 and 2010 World Cups, acknowledged there were practical reasons for the JFA to align with the AFC but said he could not personally accept the direction FIFA was taking.

"However, the series of actions surrounding this year's FIFA World Cup represent a significant divergence from my personal convictions," Okada wrote. "As a sportsman, I cannot accept this."

Infantino has faced criticism since July over a proposed deal to sell a permanent stake in World Cup revenues to private investors, a reported $4.2 billion arrangement involving investors led by Joshua Kushner, brother of Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. That proposal drew objections from senior football figures including AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin and CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani, with criticism focused on concerns about transparency, governance and Infantino's management style, including his close relationship with US President Donald Trump.

Sheikh Salman had previously accused Infantino of a "fundamental breach of trust", but the AFC reversed course last Friday and announced its support for the FIFA president after a period of uncertainty. Infantino has been working to secure backing from influential Asian football powers; Qatar has remained supportive while Saudi Arabia appeared to restore its relationship with Infantino after hosting him in Jeddah this month. The AFC's 46 member associations form a significant bloc among the 211 FIFA voters.

Infantino has promised each member association $25 million for development and operating costs over the next four years, a commitment that has added to scrutiny of the election campaign. The AFC endorsement also provoked a public dispute with Jordanian football official Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, a former FIFA vice-president who described the AFC gathering in Tokyo as "pure politics at the behest of Gianni Infantino" and warned against the use of "coercion, threats or bribes" in the election process. The AFC rejected his claims as unsubstantiated and referred his comments to its judicial officials for possible disciplinary action; Prince Ali later clarified that his post was intended to underline the importance of transparency in football governance, adding that Jordan's vote would be cast independently.

UEFA has committed to finding a candidate to challenge Infantino, with the deadline for nominations set for November 18. Okada's resignation adds another voice to the growing debate over FIFA's leadership as the March election approaches.