Incumbent Sepp Blatter was re-elected as president of FIFA on Thursday, defeating challenger Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein to secure a fifth term as the leader of world soccer's governing body.
Blatter collected 133 of the 206 valid votes cast in the first round of voting, with each FIFA member nation casting one vote. Prince Ali collected 73 votes. Three ballots were invalid. Though Blatter's total was short of the 140-vote supermajority needed to avoid a second round of voting, Prince Ali conceded the race before the second ballot was held.
Blatter was first elected as FIFA President in 1998. He will now serve another four-year term, lasting until 2019.
The election took place at the 65th FIFA Congress in Zurich, and just two days after nine current and former high-ranking FIFA officials and five more sports executives were indicted for racketeering conspiracy and corruption as part of a U.S. Department of Justice investigation.
U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati, who nominated Prince Ali and publicly declared his support for him the evening prior to the election, expressed his disappointment in the election's outcome in a statement released on Friday after the vote.
"While we are disappointed in the result of the election, we will continue to push for meaningful change within FIFA. Our goal is for governance of FIFA that is responsible, accountable, transparent and focused solely on the best interests of the game," he said. "This is what FIFA needs and deserves, and what the people who love our game around the world demand. We congratulate President Blatter and it is our hope he will make reform his number one priority to ensure the integrity of the sport across the world."
Canada Soccer President Victor Montagliani likewise declared on Thursday that Canada, which will host the FIFA Women's World Cup starting in a week, would vote for Prince Ali on Thursday.
