2016 FIFA Extraordinary Congress

• 1. Corruption Scandal Origins

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  The Hallenstadion in Zürich, Switzerland, hosted a special session of the FIFA Congress on the 26th of February 2016. This gathering was called as a direct result of the 2015 FIFA corruption case that had shaken the organization to its core. Incumbent Sepp Blatter had been re-elected to a fifth term during the 65th FIFA Congress on the 29th of May 2015. He defeated Prince Ali bin Hussein of Jordan in that vote. Just three days later, on the 2nd of June, Blatter announced his intent to resign from office. He remained in power only until an extraordinary congress could convene and elect a new president. The FIFA Executive Committee set this date for the 26th of February 2016 in July. They also established deadlines for candidates and other necessary procedures.

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• 2. Reform Package Approval

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  A landmark reform package was overwhelmingly approved by 179 of 207 members present at the first part of the session. Among the promised tenants is the dissolution of the Executive Committee. It will be replaced by a larger FIFA Council selected by regional confederations. The reforms also imposed term limits on executive offices such as the presidency. These changes were designed to prevent future corruption scandals from taking root within the governing body. The approval process demonstrated a strong desire among member states for structural change after years of controversy.

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• 3. Presidential Candidate Field

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  The deadline for candidates to formally present their nominations was the 26th of October 2015 at 23:59 CET. Each candidate needed support from at least five national federations to qualify. On the 28th of October 2015, FIFA announced the names of seven candidates to replace Sepp Blatter. Michel Platini, UEFA President, had announced his bid on the 29th of July 2015 but was suspended by FIFA on the 8th of October 2015. He was excluded from the presidential race on the 21st of December 2015 due to corruption and accepting bribes. Musa Bility, President of the Liberia Football Association, was excluded on the 12th of November 2015 after failing an integrity check. David Nakhid failed to receive the required five declarations of support and was excluded on the 28th of October 2015. Tokyo Sexwale withdrew his candidacy after giving his speech.

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• 4. Election Voting Mechanics

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  The FIFA presidential election entered a second round of voting for the first time in 42 years. Gianni Infantino of Switzerland secured more backing than pre-vote favorite Sheik Salman bin Ibrahim al Khalifa of Bahrain in the first round. A two-thirds majority was required to win that initial ballot. A simple majority of more than 50 percent, which meant 104 votes, was sufficient for victory in the second round. The final tally showed Infantino receiving 115 votes while Salman received 88. Prince Ali Al Hussein garnered 4 votes in the runoff. Jérôme Champagne received 7 votes initially but none in the second round. This marked the first time since 1974 that a second round vote had been held.

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• 5. Post-Election Reactions

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  The unexpected victory of Infantino over Salman surprised some observers who had predicted a different outcome. A bloc in opposition to Salman is speculated to have tipped the second round vote in Infantino's favor. United States Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati and other CONCACAF federations played a key role in Infantino's margin of victory. They reportedly shifted their vote from Prince Ali to Infantino after conversations between the two rounds of voting. Sepp Blatter gave a press interview the day prior to the election saying he was leaving office as a happy man. He later congratulated Infantino but warned that friends become rare in the job. Blatter urged his successor to stay vigilant against future challenges facing the organization.

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