ZURICH: Before the 209 associations cast their votes, incumbent Sepp Blatter – angling for a fifth term in the top job – and his only rival, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, will each address the Fifa congress. Prince Ali, from Jordan, was elected Fifa vice-president for Asia in 2011.
There are several items on the agenda on Friday – including “suspension or expulsion of a member” and “president’s address” – before item 17: election of the president. We could see the results of that election around 4pm UK time.
Voting takes place in a secret ballot, although several countries and regional groups have declared who they intend to plump for. If either candidate achieves two-thirds of the vote in the first round, he wins outright – that’s 139 out of 209. If not, voting goes to a second round, in which a simple majority is enough to win.
The president will be elected by secret ballot during the Fifa congress for a period of four years.
There is no age limit for presidency candidates [Blatter is 79; Prince Ali 39].
The electoral body is composed of the 209 federation members.
For a win in the first round of voting, a candidate must secure two-thirds of the votes of eligible voting members present.
It’s widely expected that Blatter will sail off with his fifth presidential term on Friday, despite the eruption this week of corruption allegations that have haunted his time as Fifa’s chief. So who will be voting for him?
Embattled Fifa president expected to triumph against challenger Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein as Greg Dyke threatens European World Cup boycott
