Jordan’s Prince Ali to stand for FIFA president

FIFA Vice President Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan has announced he will challenge Sepp Blatter to lead football’s world governing body, vowing to end years of controversy surrounding the game. If successful, he would be only the second FIFA chief from outside Europe, and the first ever from the Middle East. The 39-year-old prince, who was elected FIFA vice-president for Asia in 2011, aims to prevent Blatter winning a fifth term in office.

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 bin Al Hussein of Jordan

FIFA has been steeped in controversy and allegations of corruption since Russia and Qatar’s successful bids to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Prince Ali, the son of the late King Hussein of Jordan, had been one of the most senior FIFA officials to call for the publication in full of a report last year into the winning bids. A major general in Jordan’s armed forces, the prince was educated in the United States and Britain, where he attended the prestigious military academy Sandhurst. His wife Rym Brahimi is a former CNN journalist. In 2011 he became the youngest member of the FIFA executive committee at the age of 35 after rallying Arab support behind him.

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