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We are proud to share with our alumni community that FIFA Master alumnus from the 13th edition and football legend, Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, has become President of the Japan Football Association.

Tsune, as he's called by his classmates, is a former football player, coach and, lately was serving as the JFA's General Secretary.

As a player, he played for Gamba Osaka, Red Bull Salzburg and Vissel Kobe. 

Among many accolades, he played in two FIFA World Cups and was also the team captain in 2002, when the tournament was hosted in Japan and South Korea, as well as in Germany, in 2006.

See below, Tsune Miyamoto's message, in which he mentions the FIFA Master, posted by the JFA:

Message from the President

I am extremely honoured to have been appointed the 15th President of Japan Football Association (JFA), a position of great responsibility.

I have been involved in football in various capacities all my life: as a player, a FIFA Master student, a youth coach, a Head Coach at a J.League Club, in the media and as General Secretary of JFA. Throughout my career, I have always been driven by a strong desire to increase the presence of football in our country.

It has been more than 100 years since JFA was founded and more than 30 years since a professional football league was established in Japan. It is through the tireless efforts of so many people, on and off the pitch along the way, that have brought Japanese football to what it is today – a journey of growth that we can all be proud of, even by world standards. Stadiums have been built across the country, J.League and WE League matches are played on weekends, and it has become a common sight to see the whole country cheering on the performance of SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) and Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women’s National Team).

On the other hand, in order to fulfil our pledge in “The JFA Declaration, 2005”, which states that “By 2050, we will host the FIFA World Cup™ in Japan, and the Japan National Team will be the Champion,” we must take further steps to elevate our game to the next level. While inheriting the wide array of legacies built by our predecessors, we must also take an innovative approach that is fit for the present.

There are many things I would like to work on. Through close dialogue and discussions with you all, I will explore the best way forward one by one, in order to increase the presence of Japanese football both at home and abroad. Let's work together to start a new chapter for Japanese football.

23 March 2024

15th President of JFA

MIYAMOTO Tsuneyasu