FIFA will elect a new president on Friday to replace suspended incumbent Sepp Blatter, who has held the post since ’98. Football’s world governing body is experiencing the biggest crisis in its more-than-100-year history after media reports uncovered a culture of briberies, kickbacks, money-laundering and ticket scams within the organization and across its business partners. Each of the five candidates in Friday’s election will be tasked with restoring trust in the Zurich-based organization as investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice and Swiss authorities into the alleged wrong-doings continue. The new president will also have the burden of two World Cups in countries accused of human-rights violations -- Russia in '18 and Qatar in '22. The five candidates have all called for more transparency in FIFA’s dealings and proposed programs to continue to grow the sport globally.
THE CHOICES: FIFA's 209 member association will have to choose between the following candidates:
- Jordan FA President and former FIFA VP/Asia Prince Ali bin al-Hussein;
- Former French diplomat and ex-FIFA Dir of Int'l Relations Jérôme Champagne;
- UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino;
- Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa;
- South African businessman and FIFA committee member Tokyo Sexwale.
SBD Global took a look at the candidates' visions, strengths and weaknesses ahead of the election.
Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, 40
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Prince Ali
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Vision
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Prince Ali wants to make FIFA more transparent by disclosing all its financial figures, including salaries of exec committee members. He also intends to release the full findings of the Garcia report and calls for a two-term limit for the presidency.
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Strength
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Prince Ali received more than a third of the votes when he ran against Blatter last year. He's entirely untouched by the scandal.
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Weakness
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Prince Ali has only four years as a FIFA VP under his belt. He also lacks the backing of the AFC, which threw its weight behind Sheikh Salman.
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Jérôme Champagne, 57
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Jérôme Champagne
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Vision
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Champagne plans to introduce global collective bargaining for all professional footballers. He also proposes giving seats on FIFA's exec committee to FIFPro, league and club representatives. |
Strength
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Champagne's diplomatic background has provided him with a reputation as a dealmaker. He has a lot of allies in world football, including in a number of African FAs.
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Weakness
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Champagne worked for Blatter for 11 years. His campaign did not get much media attention.
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Gianni Infantino, 45
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Gianni Infantino
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Vision
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Infantino's campaign calls for more accountability, diversity and transparency at FIFA. He also advocates expanding the World Cup from 32 to 40 nations.
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Strength
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Infantino ran UEFA's day-to-day business as its general secretary, and he did so without any signs of corruption.
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Weakness
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Infantino was a supporter of UEFA President Michel Platini's presidential bid and only joined the race after Platini's suspension. Therefore, voters might question his motivation.
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Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, 50
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Sheikh Salman
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| Vision |
Sheikh Salman wants to split FIFA into two units: a business department and a sporting department. |
| Strength |
Under Sheikh Salman's leadership the AFC has made strides in the development of football across Asia -- from women's football to commercial development. |
| Weakness |
Sheikh Salman has been accused of human-rights violations during anti-government protests in Bahrain. He's also accused of blocking an audit of the AFC in '12 because it suggested that the organization had been used to launder money. |
Tokyo Sexwale, 62
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Tokyo Sexwale
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| Vision |
Sexwale proposes shirt sponsorships on national-team jerseys to raise revenue. He also called for the creation of an int'l advisory forum, which would act as a de-facto FIFA Ombudsman. |
| Strength |
Sexwale is very connected and has a proven track record in business and politics.
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| Weakness |
Sexwale is a long-term associate of Blatter. |
