January 27 – FIFA has confirmed as a formality the names of the five candidates battling for the presidency of football’s world governing body at the election on February 26.
With the deadline for those in the race being set for a month beforehand, FIFA have confirmed Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa, Gianni Infantino, Tokyo Sexwale and Jerome Champagne as the contenders to replace Sepp Blatter, whose presidency effectively ended on December 21 when he was banned for eight years by FIFA’s ethics committee but who was stepping down anyway.
Sheikh Salman, head of the Asian Football Confederation, and Infantino, the general secretary of the Union of European Football Associations, are viewed as the frontrunners.
Michel Platini was the early favourite but, like Blatter, was banned from football for eight years by FIFA’s ethics committee and has officially pulled out as he takes his case to appeal.
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