Chung Mong-Joon has confirmed he plans to run for the FIFA presidency at next year's election, saying Michel Platini is not the right man for the job.
The South Korean, a former FIFA vice-president, said earlier this month that a non-European leader would help breathe "new wind" into world football's governing body.
UEFA president Platini has also confirmed that he plans to challenge for the position when Sepp Blatter's reign comes to an end at the election on Feb. 26.
Chung told the BBC's World Football programme that felt he had a "good chance" of winning but did not believe the Frenchman would be a good appointment.
"It is time that FIFA had a non-European leadership," he said. "FIFA became a closed organisation for president Blatter, his associates and his cronies and I want to change that."
He added: "If I get elected, my job is not to enjoy the luxury of the office. My job is to change it."
Chung, who has vowed to clean up the organisation after the recent scandals, said Platini may not be able to make the necessary changes.
"It will be very difficult for him to have any meaningful reforms," he said. "Mr Platini enjoys institutional support from the current structure of FIFA. Mr Platini is very much a product of the current system."
The president of Chung's own Asian Football Confederation, however, spoke out in support of Platini on Thursday.
AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa praised Platini as as "a unique candidate" and urged his member nations to unite behind a single person.
The Sheikh said Platini "would bring stability and a smooth transition to normality for FIFA in this difficult situation'' but stopped short of formally endorsing the Frenchman to replace the outgoing Sepp Blatter as head of the corruption-stained world body.
The AFC backed Blatter in this year's presidential election despite the fact his challenger Prince Ali bin Hussein came from an AFC member nation; Jordan.
Chung, who was a key figure in helping South Korea land the right to co-host the 2002 World Cup with Japan, has been a long-time critic of Blatter, whom he described as a dictatorial "little brat" in a memoir published in 2011.
He told Reuters he would make a formal announcement about his candidacy in Europe, which he described as "the centre of world football," next month.
Prince Ali, who lost out to Blatter in May's FIFA election but may challenge again in February, has also said Platini would not be a good replacement for Blatter.
Also on Thursday, the Football Association of Wales pledged their support to Platini.
FAW chief executive Jonathan Ford said: "The FAW is pleased to offer its backing to Michel Platini's candidacy for FIFA president.
"We have always enjoyed an excellent relationship with Michel. He is very much a football man and we are supportive of the excellent work and all his accomplishments at UEFA, as he is supportive of all the work and progress we have made for football in Wales.
"We are confident that Michel Platini is the ideal candidate to bring about reform at FIFA." Meanwhile, Platini has been criticised by a rival for the FIFA presidency as "a product of the system."
Information from The Associated Press and Press Assocaition was used in this report.