The Five contestants for FIFA Presidency

There are five men hoping to succeed Sepp Blatter as President of football’s world governing body, FIFA. They are:

Sheikh Salman al-Khalifa.

SHEIKH SALMAN BIN IBRAHIM AL KHALIFA
Country: Bahrain
Age: 49
Who: President of the Asian Football Confederation and former head of the Bahrain FA. Facing opposition from human rights groups who say his role in identifying athletes including footballers who took part in anti-government protests to the authorities makes him unfit to be FIFA President.
Manifesto: Has pledged to separate FIFA’s governance and commercial operations and introduce a 40-team World Cup.
Supporters: Expects to have majority support in Asia, and has had endorsement from executive committee of African Football Confederation.

FBL-FIFA-INFANTINO

GIANNI INFANTINO
Country: Switzerland
Age::45
Who: UEFA General Secretary since 2000, picked as UEFA’s fail safe candidate while there was uncertainty over Michel Platini’s future.
Manifesto: Promising a 90-day overhaul of FIFA and says only he has the experience and vision to deliver.
Supporters: Claims “overwhelming” if not majority support from European nations and has pledges from Latin American CONMEBOL bloc of 10, and from elsewhere, with more than 50 nations publicly supportive. English FA expected to back him.

Prince Ali

PRINCE ALI BIN AL HUSSEIN
Country: Jordan
Age: 39
Who: President of the Jordan Football Association and a former member of the FIFA executive committee. He stood against Sepp Blatter in the May 2015 election, receiving 73 votes, but withdrew before the second round of voting.
Manifesto: Says he is the one truly independent candidate. Calling for publication of Garcia Report into World Cup voting scandal, an oversight committee to guide FIFA reform, and a 40-team World Cup.
Supporters: With no bloc support, hoping that some of the 73 nations who backed him last time to get behind him.

BELGIUM-EU-FBL-FIFA-SUMMIT

JEROME CHAMPAGNE
Country: France
Age: 57
Who: Former FIFA deputy Secretary General who remains very close to Sepp Blatter. Tried to stand in May 2015 election but failed to get five letters of support.
Manifesto: To re-balance the game and use FIFA’s revenues to reduce the gap between rich and poor countries.
Supporters: In the race in part because of Blatter’s backing and will hope his record at FIFA delivers a decent showing.

Tokyo Sexwale speaking in Tel Aviv earlier this month

TOKYO SEXWALE
Country: South Africa
Age: 62
Who: Anti-apartheid campaigner imprisoned alongside Nelson Mandela who went on to a successful, though not uncontroversial, business career. Blatter-Champagne ally made chair of FIFA’s Israel-Palestine monitoring group.
Manifesto: Prioritise anti-racism and increasing funding to under-developed football nations.
Supporters: Snubbed by leadership of Confederation of African Football and struggling to convince even his own national FA.

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