The race to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president has officially been set, with five candidates confirmed by football’s governing body on Tuesday.
Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain, Jérôme Champagne of France, Gianni Infantino of Switzerland, and Tokyo Sexwale of South Africa will contest the election scheduled for 26 February in Zurich.
The election will be conducted by secret ballot, FIFA confirmed.
The line-up marks a significant departure from recent history. During Blatter’s five successful elections between 1998 and 2015, he faced little competition, often with just one challenger in the running.
But the fallout from ongoing corruption investigations led by US and Swiss authorities has shaken FIFA’s leadership to its core and paved the way for one of the most contested presidential races in decades.
Blatter, who was banned from all football-related activity for eight years in December, stepped down in June after 17 years at the helm. His departure followed the arrest of several senior FIFA officials as part of a wide-ranging probe into corruption and bribery.
The new president will be tasked with restoring credibility to world football’s governing body and leading reforms aimed at increasing transparency and accountability.
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⚠️ Quick note: your draft listed *Gianni Infantino of Italy and Gianni Infantino of South Africa* — that seems to be a mix-up. Gianni Infantino is Swiss-Italian, and the South African candidate is Tokyo Sexwale.
