James Johnson (sports administrator)

James Johnson (born 21 May 1982) is a British and Australian businessman who currently serves as the Group CEO of Canada Soccer Business.^[1]

He is the former CEO of Football Australia, where his tenure is widely regarded as one of the most successful and transformational in the history of Australian football. Under his leadership, the sport saw record revenue growth and increased participation, along with the successful delivery of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 and the awarding of hosting rights for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2026.^[2][3]

Johnson has spent most of his career in the global sports and entertainment industry. He has been a featured speaker on topics including bidding and hosting major sporting events, media rights, high performance, the international transfer system, financial fair play, multi-club ownership, salary caps, and the globalisation of sport.^[4]

Johnson was born in the United Kingdom but grew up in Rockhampton, Australia.^[5] Johnson played multiple sports including cricket, tennis, rugby union, and rugby league, but excelled at football, representing Australia at the youth level.^[6]

He pursued his undergraduate degree at Boston University and later studied law at Bond University.^[7]

In 2025, Johnson was awarded the annual Bond University Alumni Medal for his contributions to hosting the 2023 Women’s World Cup and his lasting legacy for Australian sport.^[8]

Johnson was a youth international soccer player for the Australia national under-17 soccer team.^[9] He was selected in the Australia squad for the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship but was cut ahead of the tournament due to injury.^[10] Between 2002 and 2005, Johnson played for Boston University Terriers, scoring 13 times in 57 matches.^[11][12] He continued playing at club level until 2007 for Brisbane Strikers and Danang FC.

Johnson began his legal career practicing in the areas of corporate law, litigation, and industrial relations before entering the sport and entertainment industry.^[13] He held senior executive positions with the Asian Football Confederation, FIFA, City Football Group, Football Federation Australia, before being appointed Group CEO of Canada Soccer Business.^{[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]}

• Johnson implemented a fast-paced agenda aimed at expanding Australian football globally. In 2020, he was described as a “visionary guiding soccer’s revolution” after initiating a collaborative process with stakeholders to shape the long-term direction of the sport. This initiative led to the development of Football Australia’s XI Principles for the Future of Australian Football — a 15-year strategic vision. The plan focused on attracting major international football competitions to Australia, strengthening the Matildas and Socceroos brands in Australia and in global markets, , enhancing on-field performance, and fostering stronger connections between Australia’s national teams and grassroots football to drive greater participation in the sport.

Building the brands of the Matildas and Socceroos to enhance commercial growth was a key focus of Johnson’s leadership of Australian football. During his tenure, Football Australia secured landmark multi-million-dollar sponsorship agreements, including naming rights partnerships with Commonwealth Bank Australia for the Matildas and Subway for the Socceroos. Additional sponsors that joined under his stewardship include LEGO, Cadbury, Priceline, CUPRA, and Allianz. Existing sponsors such as Rebel Sport, Qantas, and Nike also renewed their partnerships with Football Australia during this period.

Johnson led the media rights strategy and negotiations for Football Australia during his tenure as CEO. In 2020, he secured a one-year broadcast deal with Fox Sports, allowing the A-League to resume after a COVID-19 postponement — a negotiation described as a “game of chicken.”^[26]

In 2021, Johnson led the acquisition of the Asian Football Confederation’s national team media rights and bundled them with Football Australia’s national team rights. This strategic packaging resulted in a landmark broadcast deal with Network 10 and ViacomCBS, reportedly valued at AUD 100 million for the cycle ending in 2024.^[27][28]

That same year, Johnson negotiated the licensing rights for a Matildas documentary with Disney+. The six-part docuseries, Matildas: The World at Our Feet, premiered in 2023 and followed the team in the lead-up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup.^[29][30]

National team high performance was a priority during Johnson’s tenure. The Matildas achieved their best-ever finishes at both the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, placing fourth in both tournaments.^[31]

The Socceroos also had a successful campaign at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, finishing the group stage with six points and progressing to the Round of 16, where they were defeated by eventual champions Argentina.^[32]

In 2020, Johnson appointed Tony Gustavsson as head coach of the Matildas, and in 2023, he re-appointed Graham Arnold as head coach of the Socceroos.^[33] Both coaches faced public scrutiny at times during their tenures, and Johnson publicly supported them.^[34]

Following Arnold’s resignation in 2024, Johnson appointed Tony Popovic as the new head coach of the Socceroos. On 23 September 2024, Popovic officially took over the role. Under his leadership, the Socceroos qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in June 2025 after securing victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia.

On 25 June 2020, Australia and New Zealand won the bid to co-host the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.^[35] Described by media as the “WhatsApp World Cup bid,” Johnson played a key role in the campaign through his global football networks and political strategy.^[36] The joint bid won with 22 votes, while Colombia received 13.^[37] Johnson publicly criticized the English Football Association for voting against the bid, calling the decision “disrespectful.”^[38]

Johnson also led the successful bid for Australia to host the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, which will be staged in March 2026.^[39]

As part of legacy planning, Johnson oversaw Football Australia’s “Legacy ’23” strategy. The plan focused on strengthening the Matildas brand, increasing participation, enhancing community and professional infrastructure, and boosting national team performance. Legacy ’23 led to AUD 400 million in investment from federal and state governments.^[40] An additional AUD 200 million was committed to community sports facilities by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Sports Minister Anika Wells during the 2023 Women’s World Cup.^[41]

On 8 May 2025, Johnson announced his resignation as CEO of Football Australia after five and a half years leading the organisation.^[42]

Two weeks later, it was announced that Johnson would become the new Group CEO of Canada Soccer Business ahead of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup..^[43]

On 23 May 2025, Canada Soccer Business officially announced Johnson as its new Group Chief Executive Officer.^[44]<r