Michel Platini won't run against Sepp Blatter for FIFA presidency

UEFA president Michel Platini won't challenge incumbent Sepp Blatter in the upcoming election for FIFA president.

UEFA president Michel Platini won't challenge incumbent Sepp Blatter in the upcoming election for FIFA president.

Platini made the announcement Thursday at a meeting of UEFA members. He had said earlier this summer he would consider running against Blatter after criticizing the FIFA head for alleged corruption surrounding the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.

Platini and UEFA are also upset at Blatter because they say he assured them while running for president in 2011 that he wouldn't run again in 2015.

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Alex Horne, general secretary of the English FA, said: "We've asked him for the last couple of years to think about whether he wanted to run for Fifa presidency - as have a number of other national associations.

"I have no doubt Michel would have made a fine candidate. In all honesty he was probably our front-running potential European candidate. We remain of the view that SeppBlatter has served his time at Fifa. He said very clearly it would be his last term."

Blatter, 78, has been president of FIFA since 1998. The only current candidate opposing Blatter is former FIFA deputy secretary general Jerome Champagne​.

The election will take place in March. 

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- Ben Estes