Sports Page — Can this prince topple the king of world football’s governing body?
Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein has stepped forward to challenge Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency at May’s election.
Blatter, 78, is seeking a fifth consecutive term in office despite growing disillusion with the way the organization has been run during his tenure.
The Swiss, who became president in 1998, has not faced a credible challenger since taking office but will now find himself in the middle of a real battle.
I am seeking the presidency of FIFA because I believe it is time to shift the focus away from administrative controversy and back to sport,” Prince Ali said in a statement.
“This was not an easy decision. It came after careful consideration and many discussions with respected FIFA colleagues over the last few months.
“The message I heard, over and over, was that it is time for a change. The world’s game deserves a world-class governing body — an International Federation that is a service organization and a model of ethics, transparency and good governance.”
FIFA has been been heavily criticized following allegations of corruption over its bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Russia was awarded the 2018 World Cup and Qatar the event for 2022.
A FIFA investigation found no wrongdoing in the process.
Prince Ali, 39, is the third son of Jordan’s late King Hussein from his marriage to his third wife, Queen Alia.