Most Popular Sports
All Sports
Show All

FIFA presidential election: When it is, where you can watch, candidates, manifestos and odds

Eurosport
ByEurosport

Updated 25/02/2016 at 11:08 GMT

All you need to know about the election to succeed Sepp Blatter as the president of world football's governing body FIFA.

FIFA are set to appoint new president.

Image credit: Eurosport

When is the election held?

The election is due to begin at around 1pm UK time on Friday 26th February at the Hallenstadion in Zurich, Switzerland.

Who decides the new FIFA president?

FIFA's 209 member national associations (FAs) each hold one vote at the election where Prince Ali is among five candidates standing to replace outgoing President Sepp Blatter, who is banned for eight years amid a corruption scandal that has shaken football's global governing body. Under FIFA statutes, voting is secret.

Where you can watch?

You can watch in live via FIFA.com. Details here.

Who are the candidates?

Tokyo Sexwale

picture

Tokyo Sexwale, chairman of the FIFA Monitoring Committee Israel-Palestine, gestures during a news conference

Image credit: Reuters

Born in Soweto on March 5, 1953, he grew up amid the turmoil of the township struggle against the Apartheid regime in South Africa.
FIFA election manifesto:
  • His manifesto does not tackle anti-corruption issues but rather seeks more places at future World Cups for Africa and seeks to allow national FAs to make more revenue by allowing sponsorship on national team jerseys.
  • "After 112 years of its existence, FIFA needs to take a hard look, with sensitivity, at these imbalances - not in opposition to any grouping but in favour of football," he says.
  • He also promises a personal touch if elected. "Every FA's President will have direct tele-contact with myself. They need not bang the door to see their own FIFA President on very serious matters."
Odds to win presidency: 66/1

Sheikh Salman

picture

FIFA presidential candidate Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa attends an interview with Reuters in Panama City, Panama, January 8, 2016

Image credit: Reuters

Born in Bahrain on Nov. 2, 1965 and a member of the Bahraini Royal family. According to bookmakers he is the front-runner in the race to become FIFA president.
FIFA election manifesto:
  • In line with the reform proposals, he has also advocated splitting FIFA into two at the governing level, with a financial /commercial department to handle the business side of the organization and a football department to oversee football development and the organization of the World Cup and all of FIFA's other competitions. If elected he says he will take a non-executive stance as president, and have a more ambassadorial role, not wanting to "micro-manage" the body, in line with the proposed reforms.
  • Despite FIFA's image having taken a battering as a result of its well-publicised problems, he would keep FIFA's name and the organization would remain in Zurich.
Odds to win presidency: 8/15 (favourite)

Jerome Champagne

picture

Jerome Champagne speaks during a news conference in London January 20, 2014 (Reuters)

Image credit: Reuters

Born in Paris on June 15, 1958
FIFA election manifesto:
  • Is against any expansion of the World Cup to 40 teams.
  • He would re-organise FIFA's current grants system which sees the richest FAs getting the same grants as the poorest. Most of the money, he says, would go to the poorest members.
Odds to win presidency: 66/1

Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein

Born in Amman on Dec. 23, 1975, he is the third son of the late King Hussein of Jordan. His mother Queen Alia died in a helicopter crash in February 1977 when he was 14 months old.
picture

Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan, FIFA presidential candidate, speaks before the election process at the 65th FIFA Congress in Zurich, Switzerland, May 29, 2015. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

Image credit: Reuters

FIFA election manifesto:
  • Supports an expanded World Cup but has not specified how many extra slots he would like to see in the finals. Guarantees that no confederation would lose any slots they now have.
  • Would increase the grants FIFA gives to member associations from $250,000 to $1 million every year .
  • Wants to "turn the pyramid upside down" giving more power to "the national associations, players, coaches, officials, fans and sponsors."
Odds to win presidency: 8/1

Gianni Infantino

picture

UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino takes part in a press conference at Wembley stadium in London on February 1, 2016

Image credit: AFP

Born in Brig, Switzerland on March 23, 1970.
FIFA election manifesto:
  • The most controversial proposal is to increase the 32-team World Cup to 40 teams. Infantino said he would also encourage the idea of co-hosting World Cup tournaments between two or more countries in the same region.
  • Infantino says he wants to distribute $5 million every four years to each of FIFA's 209 member associations for football development and a further $40 million to each of the continental confederations.
Odds to win presidency: 6/4
Join 3M+ users on app
Stay up to date with the latest news, results and live sports
Download
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement