FIFA has elected Switzerland’s Gianni Infantino to succeed his countryman Sepp Blatter as its new president.
He won the FIFA vote in the round two, after the first round failed to produce the needed two-thirds majority, with Infantino gaining 88 votes, Sheikh Salman winning 85, and other candidates Jordanian Prince Ali bin al-Hussein and Frenchman Jerome Champagne getting 27 and 7 votes respectively.
Results of 2nd ballot: 4 votes for Prince Ali; 88 votes for Shk. Salman; 0 votes for Jérôme Champagne; 115 votes for Gianni Infantino.
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) February 26, 2016
“I accept the result of this election, thank you,” said Infantino. I went through an exceptional journey, met many fantastic people who love football, who breathe football. I want to be the president of all of you, of all 209 nations. I want to work with all of you to work together and build a new era where we can put football at the centre of the stage.”
A simple majority of more than 50 per cent – 104 votes – was sufficient for victory in the second round.
With a simple majority of votes in second ballot, Gianni Infantino of Switzerland is elected FIFA President until 2019.
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) February 26, 2016
Sheikh Salman, the head of the Asian Football Confederation, was widely tipped by bookmakers to win the vote, but was beaten into second place. He was tainted by alleged human rights abuses connected with the suppression of protests in his native Bahrain several years ago, which were part of the so-called Arab Spring. Despite denying the claims, they may have damaged his cause.
Infantino has called for wide-ranging reforms to FIFA, including a much-discussed proposal to increase the World Cup to 40 teams. He has also pledged to allocate additional funds to football development for all member associations.
Prior to this election, he was able to obtain big support from European and South American delegates, and had earlier received the very public endorsements from associations including the English FA.
Infantino is a 45-year-old lawyer from Brig in the Valais region of Switzerland, less than six miles from Blatter’s hometown of Visp.
He has been a prominent figure in European football body UEFA for the past 10 years, and had previously worked as the general secretary of the organization.
