Blatter beats Ali, named FIFA president for fifth term

Sepp Blatter won FIFA presidential re-election for an unprecedented fifth term as challenger, Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan, conceded after failing to win by a two-third majority in the first round of voting on Friday.

At FIFA’s 65th Congress in Zurich, the 209 member nations cast their votes and the 79-year-old Blatter garnered 133 votes to Prince Ali’s 73 of the 206 valid votes cast, but failed to win the two-third majority on the initial vote (more than 139 out of 209).

At that point, Prince Ali addressed the voting members and conceded.

“It has been a wonderful journey in terms of knowing you and working with you, seeing the challenges you have and I want to thank in particular those of you who were brave enough to support me,” Ali said in conceeding the election.

“But, having said that I will be withdrawing from the race. Thank you all very much and I wish you all the best of luck for the future.”

Voting was done over secret paper ballots in alphabetical order at two special booths set up at each end of the venue.

“I thank you, I thank that you have accepted me,” said Blatter in a rambling acceptance speech.

“We will bring this boat back, we will bring it back to shore.”

Blatter vowed reform, adding, “I will not touch the World Cup because the World Cup is too important.”

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