Jordan's Prince Ali backed by United States for FIFA presidency

FIFA vice president Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan said the United States was among the countries that nominated him for the FIFA presidency.

FIFA vice president Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan said the United States was among the countries that nominated him for the FIFA presidency.

Prince Ali also confirmed that Jordan, Belarus, Malta, England and Georgia endorsed him. FIFA requires that five national football associations back any candidate that wants to run for president.

He and two others are seeking to replace 78-year-old Sepp Blatter who has been FIFA’s president since 1998 and is seeking another four-year term to head world soccer’s governing body.

Prince Ali said that Blatter promised that he would not run again and it is time for him to step aside and “with full honesty and integrity, he should give a chance to others."

"There is a bit of a culture of intimidation within FIFA but, having said that, this is a candidacy for the whole world,” he said, according to the Associated Press. "In the past, people take a principled stand and they are possibly punished for it."

• LYTTLETON: Prince Ali challenges Blatter's throne

Dutch football association president Michael van Praag and former Portugal star Luis Figo are also seeking to unseat Blatter in the presidential election, which will take place May 29 in Zurich.

Blatter is considered the favorite to retain his post despite corruption allegation and an investigation into the World Cup bidding of Qatar and Russia. Those two countries were cleared of any wrongdoing during the bid process for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

- Scooby Axson