As expected, FIFA president Sepp Blatter cruised to re-election today, despite allegations that he presided over a culture of corruption that reached the top levels of soccer's global governing organization. Thought to be buoyed by support from African, Asian, and South American countries, Blatter beat his challenger Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan 133 nations to 73 (three ballots were invalid). The vote was held only miles from the Swiss hotel where many of his lieutenants were arrested on corruption charges Wednesday.
"I will accept this responsibility and I want to fix FIFA together with you," Blatter, 79, told the voting body Friday just before he was elected to his fifth term. "I want to do it now and tomorrow and the day after and the weeks and months to come so that at the end of my term of office, I will be able to hand over a solid FIFA, a FIFA that will have emerged from the storm."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Today's political cartoons - March 9, 2025Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - proportional protests, shakedown diplomacy, and more
-
A wine-themed tour of beautiful UruguayThe Week Recommends Secret paradise in South America boasts beautiful vineyards
-
Romanian democracy: no place for the 'TikTok messiah' Calin GeorgescuTalking Point State is 'fighting back' against poster boy for right-wing conspiracists
-
Trump eases Mexico, Canada tariffs again as markets slidespeed read The president suspended some of the 25% tariffs he imposed on Mexican and Canadian imports
-
Trump tells Cabinet they are in charge of layoffs, not MuskSpeed Read The White House has faced mounting complaints about DOGE's sweeping cuts
-
Rep. Sylvester Turner dies, weeks after joining HouseSpeed Read The former Houston mayor and longtime state legislator left behind a final message for Trump: 'Don't mess with Medicaid'
-
Trump pauses Ukraine intelligence sharingSpeed Read The decision is intended to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into peace negotiations with Vladimir Putin
-
Supreme Court rules against Trump on aid freezeSpeed Read The court rejected the president's request to freeze nearly $2 billion in payments for foreign humanitarian work
-
Trump touts early wins in partisan speech to CongressSpeed Read The president said he is 'just getting started' with his sweeping changes to immigration, the economy and foreign policy
-
Trudeau blasts Trump's 'very dumb' trade warSpeed Read Retaliatory measures have been announced by America's largest trading partners following Trump's tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China
-
Trump pauses military aid to Ukraine after public spatSpeed Read Trump and J.D. Vance berated Volodymyr Zelenskyy for what they saw as insufficient gratitude
