Japan FA vice-president Okada resigns over Infantino concerns as Asian bloc fractures

Takeshi Okada resigned as Japan Football Association vice-president on Tuesday, citing a “significant divergence” between his personal convictions and the actions surrounding this year’s FIFA World Cup — a move that deepens visible fractures within the Asian Football Confederation’s stance on Gianni Infantino.

The resignation came just one week after the AFC held an extraordinary congress meeting in Tokyo, where Infantino received the confederation’s endorsement for his re-election as FIFA president. That endorsement marked a sharp reversal from just two months earlier, when the AFC had accused the Swiss-Italian official of a “fundamental breach of trust” over his aborted attempt to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.

“Guided by my belief that sports should embody integrity, I have always valued their social significance,” Okada said in a statement published on the JFA website. “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.”

Okada, who managed Japan at the 1998 and 2010 World Cups and guided the team to the last 16 in South Africa, acknowledged the political pressures at play. “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,” he said — but stopped short of endorsing that alignment himself.

JFA president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto had already hinted last week that AFC members might not be uniformly behind the confederation’s Infantino U-turn, and Okada’s departure gives that suggestion concrete form.

The World Cup held last summer was also clouded by controversy when Infantino, following a request from US president Donald Trump, ordered a review of a red card shown to United States striker Folarin Balogun — a decision that was subsequently overturned.

Infantino, who has held the FIFA presidency since 2016, is standing for re-election in March 2027 and has apologised for the failed private investment scheme. Asian support is considered significant to his campaign.

Jordan remains the only Asian Football Association to have publicly opposed Infantino. Jordan FA president Prince Ali bin Hussein publicly attacked the FIFA president in August, levelling accusations of blackmail against the organisation and alleging that FIFA had offered assistance in exchange for political support.

Okada’s resignation adds to the sense that the AFC’s endorsement does not reflect a unified bloc, and may complicate Infantino’s efforts to secure the Asian vote ahead of next year’s election.