| 2024 |
Tsuneyasu Miyamoto aims for long-term success
as president of Japan Football Association

・Former Japan captain, Tsuneyasu Miyamoto,
installed as head of Japan Football Association
・Miyamoto was appointed JFA president in
March 2024
・Japan is aiming to win the FIFA World CupTM and increase revenue in long-term
When Tsuneyasu Miyamoto led out the Japanese
national team in their opening FIFA World
Cup 2002TM match against Belgium, he became the face
of football across the nation. Now, 22 years
later as president of Japan Football Association
(JFA), Miyamoto is leading Japan’s charge
to become a global footballing force.
As most former players elect to go into coaching
or broadcasting following on-field retirement,
Miyamoto’s career progression is an unusual
one. But, motivated to see Japan one day
win the FIFA World CupTM, Miyamoto was appointed the leader of JFA
in March 2024.
Miyamoto needed little introduction to football
fans in Japan having led the national team
in two FIFA World Cups - including the 2002
edition co-hosted by Japan - and having a
successful stint as head coach of Gamba Osaka,
winning the J.League Manager of the Year
in 2020.

Despite his on-field and managerial success,
Miyamoto couldn’t help but feel he would
make the most impact for Japanese football
as part of the country’s football association
and its a position he always felt he would
take on.
“My long-term aim is to become a decision-maker
in football. At some point in my life, I
will be a decision-maker, which I knew, so
it was my target after a professional career,”
said Miyamoto.
Having reached heights few can dream of as
a player, as a coach and now as an administrator,
it may appear that success comes easy to
Miyamoto, but the former defender did not
cut any corners: doing his apprenticeship
and taking steps to ensure he was ready.
One of the biggest steps was completing his
FIFA Master course in 2013. FIFA Master is
a sports management education programme that
develops world-class administrators who can
cope with the complex world of sport and
football. It’s something which helped Miyamoto
shift his perspective.
“Having different perspectives is very important
to understand fully about things and to make
good, important decisions,” said Miyamoto.
“As a player, I thought that I understood
football, but as a player, I could see football
from this angle only. After the FIFA Master,
I have a historical perspective and a managerial
perspective and a legal perspective.”
His experience as a player, a coach and a
graduate of FIFA Master gives Miyamoto a
unique perspective which he believes can
enhance the future of Japanese football.
He hopes that more ex-professionals follow
a similar pathway to his once they retire
from playing.
Japan famously has a 50-year plan for football
in the country, called the JFA Pledge, which
outlines their goal of winning the FIFA World
Cup in 2050.
In football it is easy to be short-sighted
but with a strong foundation, an inspiring
leader and the JFA Pledge, Japan is looking
for long-term, sustained success.

“We are, in my opinion, on track for Japan
to win a FIFA World Cup. Our national team
is on track. Many Japanese players are now
playing in Europe in top competitions,”
said Miyamoto.
“But winning the FIFA World Cup is something
different, so of course in order to be the
champions, we need to raise good, talented
young players continuously, and also we need
to increase the number of players who are
in European top clubs.”
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