Who could replace Sepp Blatter as new Fifa president? - Telegraph Who could replace Sepp Blatter as new Fifa president? Who are the main contenders to replace Sepp Blatter as the new Fifa president after he stood down following the corruption scandal ? Picture: AFP/Getty Images FIFA President Sepp Blatter Resigns From His Post Amid Growing Corruption Probe - ABC News ABC News FIFA President Sepp Blatter Resigns From His Post Amid Growing Corruption Probe By Josh Margolin Jun 2, 2015, 3:39 PM ET 0 Shares WATCH FIFA President Sepp Blatter Resigns Unexpectedly 0 Shares Email In a shocking announcement, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said today he is resigning from his post amid allegations of corruption among several of his members. “I have deeply reflected on my presidency and my past 40 years at FIFA," Blatter said during a news conference in Zurich. "I love FIFA more than anything and I only want to do the best for football and FIFA." Despite the recent arrests, Blatter was re-elected to a fifth term as leader of the world's governing soccer body last Friday.

FIFA Arrests: Meet the 14 People Indicted by the Department of Justice This comes as sources familiar with the case told ABC News today that Blatter is being investigated by the FBI and U.S. prosecutors as part of the probe that led to last week’s stunning indictments. Blatter, who is the eighth president of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, defeated Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan in last week's election. Walter Bieri/AP Photo FIFA President Sepp Blatter speaks at the opening ceremony of the FIFA congress in Zuerich, Switzerland, May 28, 2015. Blatter, who was not indicted by the Justice Department, said he will serve as president until a new one is elected. Days before the election, the U.S. Department of Justice accused 14 people of corruption and racketeering conspiracy in a 47-count indictment released last Wednesday. Nine FIFA officials and five corporate executives were indicted, including two current FIFA vice presidents and the current and former presidents of CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football), Jeffrey Webb and Jack Warner.

The FBI declined to comment because Blatter has not been publicly identified as a target of the investigation. The sources said the feds are conducting the FIFA probe the same way they would handle an old-school New York-style racketeering case. “Now that people are going to want to save themselves, there’s probably a race to see who will flip on [Blatter] first,” one source said, explaining how the feds typically try to get people to inform on their superiors. “We may not be able to collapse the whole organization but maybe you don’t need to,” one of the sources said. In a statement this afternoon, FIFA said: "The investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee takes note of the FIFA president’s announcement that he will be stepping down. The chamber will continue its mandate along with the adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee of consistently ensuring compliance with FIFA’s Code of Ethics and will make this its highest priority, regardless of who is President. The body’s independence from the President, regardless of who is exercising this function, is a key part of good corporate governance." Get real-time updates as this story unfolds. To start, just "star" this story in ABC News' phone app.

Download ABC News for iPhone here or ABC News for Android here . 0 Shares Next FIFA president favorites: Platini, Prince Ali lead - Business Insider print Prince Ali bin Hussein (L) and Michel Platini (R) are the favorites to be the next FIFA president. Ruben Sprich/Reuters In a shocking move, Sepp Blatter announced on Tuesday that he will step down as president of FIFA. The move was a surprise on many levels as it came just four days after being reelected to a fifth term and just three days after sounding as defiant as ever, telling one broadcaster , "Why would I step down? That would mean I recognize that I did wrongdoing." Now attention will turn to who will replace Blatter as president of FIFA at a time when the organization needs to be completely overhauled. FIFA is currently mired in a corruption scandal that has already led to the arrest of nine current and former FIFA officials. The investigation paints a picture of widespread and deeply rooted corruption that is present in FIFA in general. After the scandal broke, the most prominent voice calling for Blatter's resignation came from UEFA president Michel Platini .

He along with Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, the president of the Jordan football association who lost to Blatter in the recent election, are considered the heavy favorites to replace Blatter. Here are the betting odds on who will be the next FIFA president from William Hill Sportsbook (via ESPN). Michel Platini, France — 6/5 Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, Jordan — 7/4 Luis Figo, Portugal — 6/1 Ted Howard, United States — 12/1 Senes Erzik, Turkey — 12/1 Issa Hayatou, Cameroon — 14/1 Greg Dyke, United Kingdom — 50/1 Blatter called for an "extraordinary elective Congress" to choose his successor that will be held between December of 2015 and March of 2016, according to FIFA. Of course, the biggest question is, with so much change needed, will FIFA's individual federations actually vote for somebody who's a proponent of change? This could be especially problematic for the many smaller federations who have prospered under the reign of Blatter . For them, the status quo could be more lucrative and more attractive.

Great day for world soccer. But can FIFA be trusted to vote in a legitimate reformer to replace Blatter? The structure itself is rotten. — Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) June 2, 2015 Sepp Blatter wins new term as FIFA president - CNN.com 1 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline December 21, 2015 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA president Michel Platini are banned by FIFA's Ethics Committee for eight years. The ban relates to all football-related activity and is effective immediately. Hide Caption 2 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline November 11, 2015 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter had been in hospital in November, recovering from "a body breakdown." Hide Caption 3 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline November 9, 2015 – Wolfgang Niersbach announces his resignation as German Football Federation president, taking "political responsibility" for accusations of bribery involving the country's bid to stage the 2006 World Cup.

Hide Caption 4 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline October 26, 2015 – FIFA's deadline for submitting candidacies for its presidential election was October 26, with eight putting themselves forward for the February 26, 2015 vote to succeed Sepp Blatter. However, on October 28 David Nakhid was omitted from FIFA's final list as one of the five football associations that had declared its support for him had already done so for another candidate. Hide Caption 5 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline October 26, 2015 – UEFA president Michel Platini was the first to enter the FIFA presidential race back in July, but questions remain over whether he is even still eligible to stand in the election after he was provisionally banned from football for 90 days. Hide Caption 6 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline October 26, 2015 – Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein of Jordan announced his presidency bid in September.

He was the sole challenger to Sepp Blatter in the May 29 election but conceded defeat after receiving 73 votes to the Swiss' 133 in the first round of voting. Hide Caption 7 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline October 26, 2015 – Ex-Trinidad and Tobago captain David Nakhid submitted his candidacy earlier this month. Nakhid also played for the likes of PAOK of Greece and Malmo of Sweden. However, on October 28, Nakhid was omitted from FIFA's final list. "One of the five declarations of support for Mr Nakhid was declared invalid as the same member association had previously issued a declaration of support for another candidate," said a FIFA statement.

"In view of this, the Ad-hoc Electoral Committee decided not to consider Mr Nakhid's application as it did not fulfil the required five declarations of support." Hide Caption 8 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline October 26, 2015 – South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale, who has been part of FIFA's anti-discrimination taskforce, announced his intention to run for presidency after the South African Football Association's National Executive Committee unanimously endorsed his candidacy last week. Hide Caption 9 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline October 26, 2015 – Former FIFA international relations director Jerome Champagne, who had hoped to challenge Blatter in May's election but was forced to withdraw, confirmed last week that he will be standing. Hide Caption 10 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline October 26, 2015 – Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa launched his bid to become the next FIFA president 24 hours before the deadline. Sheikh Salman has been criticized by human rights organizations after being accused of complicity in crimes against humanity. Sheikh Salman's representatives were not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNN.

Hide Caption 11 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline October 26, 2015 – UEFA announced on the day of the deadline that its general secretary Gianni Infantino -- Platini's right-hand man -- will run for the FIFA presidency. Hide Caption 12 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline October 26, 2015 – Liberian Football Association president Musa Bility also confirmed on the day of the deadline that he is to run for the FIFA presidency. Hide Caption 13 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline October 8, 2015 – Has FIFA president Blatter spent his last day as head of football's world governing body? The 79-year-old Swiss was provisionally banned for 90 days Thursday by the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA's Ethics Committee, though the duration of the ban could be extended by 45 days. Hide Caption 14 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline October 8, 2015 – UEFA president and FIFA vice-president Platini was also provisionally banned for 90 days.

Platini is one of the FIFA presidential candidates hoping to succeed Blatter. Hide Caption 15 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline October 8, 2015 – South Korean billionaire and FIFA presidential candidate Chung Mong-joon was banned for six years and fined $103,000 based on findings relating to the bidding process for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Chung, a former FIFA vice president, vociferously denies any wrongdoing and attacked his colleagues for leaks that he says are designed to hurt his candidacy. Hide Caption Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline October 8, 2015 – FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke was suspended for 90 days. Hide Caption 17 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline September 14, 2015 – U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announces that 'additional charges against individuals and entities' are likely following the assessment of new evidence.

Hide Caption 18 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline September 9, 2015 – Prince Ali adds his name to the list of candidates seeking to replace Sepp Blatter. The election at scandal-hit FIFA is on February 26, 2016. Hide Caption 19 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline July 30, 2015 – South Korean billionaire and former FIFA vice president Chung announces his intention to run for the top job in world soccer. Hide Caption 20 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline July 29, 2015 – European football chief Platini, seen here with Blatter (left), is the leading candidate to replace the outgoing president. The former France captain is also a vice-president in FIFA's Executive Committee.

Hide Caption 21 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline May 14, 2010 – A turbulent period for FIFA began in May 2010 when the world's governing body for soccer was presented with official bid documents by Australia, England, Netherlands/Belgium, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Russia, Spain/Portugal and the United States for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. During the ceremony at its Swiss headquarters, FIFA announced dates for inspections of the bidding nations from July-September. Hide Caption 22 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline May 16, 2010 – British newspaper Mail On Sunday reveals that English bid leader David Triesman (pictured here with soccer star David Beckham) was secretly recorded making comments about alleged attempts by Spain and Russia to bribe referees at the imminent 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Hide Caption 23 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline November 18, 2010 – FIFA's Ethics Committee confirms the suspension of six FIFA officials including executive committee members Amos Adamu (pictured) and Reynald Temarii, after claims by Britain's Sunday Times newspaper that they offered to sell their World Cup votes. Adamu receives a three-year ban and $11,947 fine and Temarii a 12-month ban and a $5,973 fine. The committee also rules that there is no evidence to support allegations of collusion between rival bid teams. Both Adamu and Temarii appeal unsuccessfully to FIFA's Appeal Committee and Adamu later also files an unsuccessful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). In May 2015, FIFA bans Temarii for another eight years for allegedly accepting money from former Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam to cover legal costs of his appeal of FIFA's 2010 ban.

Hide Caption 24 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline November 29, 2010 – Issa Hayatou from Cameroon (pictured) is one of three FIFA officials -- the others Nicolas Leoz from Paraguay and Ricardo Teixeira from Brazil -- who are named in a BBC program which alleges they took bribes from the International Sports and Leisure (ISL) marketing company who secured World Cup rights in the 1990s. A day later, Hayatou says he is considering legal action against the BBC. All three would have voted on the hosts for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. The International Olympic Committee's Ethics Commission later looks into the claims against Hayatou -- as he was an IOC member. It finds he had personally received a sum of money from ISL as a donation to finance the African Football Confederation (CAF)'s 40th anniversary and recommends he be reprimanded. In 2013, an internal investigation finds Leoz and Teixeira accepted illegal payments from ISL but says the acceptance of bribe money was not punishable under Swiss law at the time.

Its report says that as both have resigned their positions with FIFA further steps over "the morally and ethically reproachable conduct of both persons" are superfluous. Hide Caption December 2, 2010 – The winning bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals are announced. Russia wins the bid to host the 2018 tournament. But the big shock came when Blatter announced that Qatar would host the 2022 finals, despite FIFA's bid inspection report stating that hosting the World Cup in June and July would be "considered as a potential health risk for players, officials, the FIFA family and spectators, and requires precautions to be taken." Hide Caption 26 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline May 10, 2011 – Just a few weeks before FIFA's presidential vote, former English Football Association chairman David Triesman testifies at a UK parliamentary enquiry into England's failed 2018 bid. Under the cover of parliamentary privilege, Triesman accuses FIFA Executive Committee members Warner, Leoz, Teixeira and Worawi Makudi of trying to secure cash and privileges in return for their vote.

In other evidence submitted to the committee from the Sunday Times, it was alleged that FIFA vice-president Hayatou along with fellow Executive Committee member Jacques Anouma has been paid $1.5 million to vote for Qatar as the 2022 World Cup host. All those accused, and the Qatar Football Association, strenuously deny the allegations. Hide Caption 27 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline May 26, 2011 – FIFA announces it will investigate Warner (pictured), who ran the CONCACAF federation covering Central and North America, and Mohamed Bin Hammam, head of the Asian Football Confederation, over bribery allegations. It follows a report by fellow Executive Committee member Chuck Blazer alleging that they paid $40,000 worth of bribes to secure the support of members of the Caribbean Football Union. They deny the claims, with Warner promising a "tsunami" of revelations to clear his name. Bin Hammam claims the accusations are part of a plan to force him to withdraw as a candidate for FIFA's presidency. He is incumbent Blatter's only opponent in FIFA's presidential election due to be held June 1.

Hide Caption 28 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline May 27, 2011 – FIFA says it will expand its corruption probe to include Blatter, after Bin Hammam claimed Blatter knew about cash payments he was accused of giving to national football association in exchange for pro-Hammam votes during Qatar's 2022 World Cup bid. Blatter maintains that the allegations are "without substance," and two days later is exonerated by FIFA's Ethics Committee. Hide Caption 29 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline May 29, 2011 – But FIFA's Ethics Committee upholds the complaints against Bin Hammam (pictured) and Warner. Bin Hammam is effectively barred from standing in the FIFA leadership election. Warner's tsunami turns out to be an email, where secretary general Valcke seems to suggest that Qatar "bought" the right to host the 2022 World Cup. After initially threatening legal action, Qatar withdraws its complaint when Valcke explains he was referring to Qatar's large, and legal, campaign budget, rather than bribes. Warner faces no further action following his resignation and the presumption of innocence remains.

Hide Caption 30 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline June 1, 2011 – Despite a last minute attempt by the English FA to postpone the vote -- a proposal which garnered just 17 out of the available 208 votes -- Blatter is re-elected for a fourth term as president of FIFA at the 61st FIFA Congress at Hallenstadion in Zurich. He vows to learn from past mistakes and undertake a reform agenda. Hide Caption 31 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline July 23, 2011 – Bin Hammam is banned for life by FIFA after a two-day hearing into bribery allegations. The ban is annulled a year later due to lack of evidence. Hide Caption 32 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline October 21, 2011 – Blatter announces the introduction of four new task forces and a "Committee of Good Governance" aimed at reforming the organization and repairing its reputation.

Hide Caption 33 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline March 30, 2012 – FIFA announces its executive committee has approved proposed changes to its Ethics Committee , splitting it into two entities -- one to investigate allegations and another to rule on them. It follows a report by the Independent Governance Committee (IGC) commissioned after Bin Hammam's ban, that found FIFA's past handling of corruption scandals had been "unsatisfactory." Hide Caption 34 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline April 24, 2012 – The Council of Europe, a watchdog that oversees the European Court of Human Rights, criticizes Blatter in a damning report into FIFA's handling of bribery allegations . The report says it would be "difficult to imagine" that the FIFA president would have been unaware of "significant sums" paid to unnamed FIFA officials by sports marketing company International Sports and Leisure (ISL) in connection with lucrative contracts for World Cup television rights. However it makes no allegations that he had any involvement in corruption. Hide Caption July 17, 2012 – Blatter announces that former U.S.

attorney Michael J Garcia and German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert (pictured) have joined FIFA to probe allegations of wrongdoing. Their first task will be to investigate a Swiss court document after an investigation into alleged illegal payments made by FIFA marketing partner ISL to former FIFA president Joao Havelange and former executive committee member Teixeira. However, they will also investigate old cases -- including the process surrounding the decision to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar. Meantime, Bin Hamman is again suspended over new corruption allegations by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which he used to lead. Bin Hammam says he is innocent but in December 2012 he resigns all his football positions after a FIFA report finds him guilty of violating the conflict of interest clauses in its Code of Ethics and bans him from all football-related activity for life.

Hide Caption 36 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline December 17, 2012 – President of the South African Football Association (SAFA) Kirsten Nematandani (pictured) and four other SAFA officials are suspended as an act of "good governance" following a report by FIFA, which adjudged four friendly matches ahead of Africa's first World Cup in 2010 had been fixed. SAFA later decides FIFA went beyond its mandate in suspending them before its investigation had concluded and reinstates the officials to their posts. In May 2015, Nematandani tells South African broadcaster ANN7 he has yet to hear from FIFA in relation to the investigation. "This is about my reputation," he says. "My name has to be cleared." Hide Caption 37 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline January 9, 2013 – FIFA imposes a worldwide lifetime ban from football on 41 players from Korea who became embroiled in match-fixing activities in their domestic league, extending a ban handed down by the Korea Football Association (KFA) in 2011.

The charges relate to alleged match-fixing in Korea's domestic K-League competition. All but one case were centered on offering or accepting bribes to throw matches. Hide Caption 38 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline February 4, 2014 – A report by police agency Europol reveals that 380 matches across Europe have been fixed by an Asia-based crime syndicate, including World Cup and European Championship qualifiers as well as the continent's top club competitions. Scores of people have been arrested across 15 countries, it says. FIFA vows to act on the revelations, but says it will need help from outside agencies to eradicate match-fixing. Hide Caption 39 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline March 11, 2013 – FIFA says executive committee member Vernon Manilal Fernando of Sri Lanka has been suspended at the request of Garcia and Eckert, co-chairs of the investigatory and adjudicatory bodies of the Ethics Committee respectively.

No details of his alleged transgression were released, but FIFA said the decision was based on alleged violations of its Code of Ethics, including conflicts of interest, offering and accepting bribes, bribery and corruption, "in order to prevent the interference with the establishment of the truth with respect to proceedings now in the adjudicatory chamber." He is later given a lifetime ban , which he unsuccessfully appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Hide Caption 40 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline April 30, 2013 – An internal investigation by FIFA's Ethics Committee clears Blatter of misconduct in the bribery scandal, but his predecessor, Brazilian Havelange, resigns as honorary president for his part in the scandal. Havelange and former executive committee members Teixeira and Leoz were all found to have accepted illegal payments from former marketing partner International Sports and Leisure (ISL) between 1992 and 2000.

Hide Caption 41 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline May 6, 2013 – FIFA's Ethics Committee suspends outgoing executive committee member Blazer (pictured back right) for 90 days "based on the fact that various breaches of the Code of Ethics appear to have been committed" by the American. Blazer is former general secretary of CONCACAF, the body which governs football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, and his suspension follows a report by its integrity committee. Blazer denies any wrongdoing. Hide Caption 42 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline June 13, 2014 – German footballer Franz Beckenbauer, the only man to win the World Cup as captain and coach, is provisionally suspended from any football-related activity for 90 days for failing to cooperate with a FIFA corruption investigation. FIFA says Beckenbauer had been asked to help with its Ethics Committee's probe into allegations against Qatar 2022 and the World Cup bidding process. Beckenbauer tells German media that he did not respond to questions by the chairman of the Ethics Committee's investigatory body because they were in English and he did not understand them.

Hide Caption 43 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline Eckert (pictured), chairman of the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA's Ethics Committee, releases a summary of the committee's investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup. The summary, by Eckert, says Qatar and Russia were not guilty of any alleged corruption, clearing them of wrongdoing. Garcia, the author of the full report, and chairman of the Ethics Committee's investigatory body, wanted the report to be published in full.

Garcia says the summary contains "incomplete and erroneous representations of the facts and conclusions detailed in the investigatory chamber's report." Hide Caption 44 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline November 18, 2014 – FIFA lodges a criminal complaint with the Swiss judiciary relating to the "international transfers of assets with connections to Switzerland, which merit examination by the criminal prosecution authorities." Hide Caption 45 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline December 17, 2014 – Garcia resigns as chairman of the investigatory body of the Ethics Committee, following FIFA's decision to throw out his appeal after he complained about the way his report into the World Cup bidding process had been summarized by Eckert. Hide Caption 46 of 48 Photos: FIFA corruption scandal timeline December 19, 2014 – FIFA decides to publish a redacted version of Garcia's investigative report into alleged corruption surrounding the bidding process for the tournaments. The decision was unanimously endorsed by FIFA's 25-person executive committee.

Hide Caption Sepp Blatter to resign as Fifa president – as it happened | Football | The Guardian Sepp Blatter to resign as Fifa president – as it happened Updated Sepp Blatter announces he will resign as the president of Fifa after 17 years in the role. Wednesday 3 June 2015 01.06 EDT First published on Tuesday 2 June 2015 11.32 EDT Closing summary Claire Phipps We are bringing this live blog to a close now, but do join us on the new one, over here . In the meantime, a summary of where we – and Fifa – stand right now: Outgoing Fifa president Sepp Blatter is now part of the corruption probe by US prosecutors, according to reports by the New York Times , ABC News and Reuters . Blatter, in a shock announcement on Tuesday, said he would step down as Fifa president, though said he would stay in place for several months to allow a “proper election” of a successor. Fifa president Sepp Blatter leaves after his statement at Fifa headquarters on Tuesday.

Photograph: Ruben Sprich/Reuters Qatar has responded to claims that more than a thousand migrant workers have died during the construction of its World Cup sites, insisting: Not a single worker’s life has been lost. Not one. The Qatar Football Association also replied snippily to claims by English FA chairman Greg Dyke that they would be having a sleepless night after the resignation of Blatter, saying: We would urge Mr Dyke to let the legal process take its course and concentrate on delivering his promise to build an England team capable of winning the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar. 00:08 Qatar: 'Not a single worker's life has been lost' The state-run Qatar News Agency has published a denial by the Government Communication Office of claims surrounding the deaths of migrant workers working on World Cup sites. (Read the Guardian’s investigation into these deaths here and here .) The Qatari rebuttal tackles a blog published by the Washington Post , which said 1,200 migrant workers are estimated to have died during the construction of World Cup sites, and a further 4,000 could die by 2022: This is completely untrue.

In fact, after almost five million work-hours on World Cup construction sites, not a single worker’s life has been lost. Not one … Qatar has more than a million migrant workers. The Global Burden of Disease study, published in the Lancet in 2012, states that more than 400 deaths might be expected annually from cardiovascular disease alone among Qatar’s migrant population, even had they remained in their home countries. It is unfortunate that any worker should die overseas, but it is wrong to distort statistics to suggest, as the Post’s article did, that all deaths in such a large population are the result of workplace conditions. The Post’s article was accompanied by a dramatic graphic, which purports to compare the imagined fatalities in Qatar with the number of lives lost in the construction of other international sports venues, including the London Olympics, where just one worker was reported to have died. A more accurate comparison according to the Post’s analysis would have also suggested that every migrant worker in the United Kingdom who died between 2005 and 2012 – whatever the job and whatever the cause of death – was killed in the construction of the 2012 London Olympics.

Qatar’s Government Communication Office says it is demanding an immediate retraction of the article. 23:09 There’s another contender to succeed Blatter: Diego Maradona. Admittedly, he’s not put himself forward, but the Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, has said he’s just the fellow for the job, Reuters reports: “The president of the international football federation should be Diego Armando Maradona or someone like him,” said Maduro during his weekly televised address. “Diego Armando Maradona has been denouncing Fifa for decades; they’ve threatened him and they’ve laughed at him.” Maradona, who led Argentina to a 1986 World Cup victory, has said he has been “enjoying” the scandal. He has been openly critical of Blatter and in the last elections voiced support for Blatter’s rival, Jordanian Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein. A lifelong supporter of leftist causes, Maradona was a close friend of late socialist leader Hugo Chavez and has maintained warm relations with Maduro, who was elected after Chavez’s 2013 death from cancer.

One of the Fifa officials arrested during last week’s police operation in Switzerland was Rafael Esquivel, who is also head of the Venezuelan Football Federation. “The state prosecutor’s office has ordered a full investigation of the Venezuelan Football Federation,” Maduro said. “I, as head of state, support it entirely.” Maduro criticised US authorities for operating beyond their jurisdictions, and suggested the investigation was part of a US plot to scrap World Cup tournaments in ideological allies Russia and Qatar. “They are getting Blatter out of the way so that they can govern Fifa,” he said. “The manoeuvre is meant to see how they can take the World Cup away from Russia and Qatar or to sabotage them so that they cannot shine.” Here’s Maduro hosting his weekly broadcast, looking pretty Match of the Day himself: Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro speaks during his weekly broadcast “en contacto con Maduro”. Photograph: Handout/Reuters Updated 22:40 Blatter 'being investigated by US' – reports Blatter’s resignation came amid reports in US media that he is being investigated by US authorities as part of their corruption inquiries.

The New York Times said US law enforcement officials had confirmed that Blatter himself was now the focus of a federal corruption investigation, after seven current and former Fifa officials were arrested last week, and a further seven indicted alongside them. Blatter had attacked the move by the US justice department, saying after his re-election last Friday: No one is going to tell me that it was a simple coincidence, this American attack two days before the elections of Fifa . It doesn’t smell good. Why would I step down? That would mean I recognise that I did wrong. I fought for the last three or four years against all the corruption. But the New York Times now reports : Mr Blatter had for days tried to distance himself from the controversy, but several United States officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that in their efforts to build a case against Mr Blatter they were hoping to win the cooperation of some of the Fifa officials now under indictment and work their way up the organization. The FBI has not commented publicly on the claim. When will Blatter go? Not immediately. Not even soon. In announcing his decision to step down as Fifa president, Blatter also signalled his intention to hang on for at least a further six months.

An extraordinary congress would be held to stage another election – possibly between December 2015 and March next year. Blatter said he would continue in his role until a successor was in place: I have decided to lay down my mandate at an extraordinary elective Congress. I will continue to exercise my functions as Fifa president until that election. So it’s not impossible that Blatter could still be heading Fifa well into 2016 … Brazilian former footballer Zico has just thrown his hat into the ring as Blatter’s potential successor. In a Facebook post from Berlin, where he is attending Saturday’s champions league final, he wrote: Why not? My life has always been in football. It’s a passion I served with seriousness and respect in Brazil and other countries. I was sports minister, I have experience with my club and in helping Kashima in Japan. I put football above politics. Former football star Zico attends a press conference during the 2014 Fifa World Cup Brazil local organising committee board meeting in March 2014 in Rio de Janeiro.

Photograph: Buda Mendes/FIFA via Getty Images Updated 21:13 The runners and riders for Fifa president Unlike last week’s election , which saw only one candidate – Jordan’s Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein – stand against the incumbent, several would-be presidents are likely to come forward now that Blatter’s rule is finally coming to an end. There’s a handy guide to the candidates here , but these are the names to watch: Michel Platini “He will be good president,” said Blatter of the current head of Uefa three years ago. But the pair, one time close allies, have become estranged. Platini declined to stand against his one-time mentor but instead backed Prince Ali. “It was a difficult decision, a brave decision, and the right decision,” Platini said of Blatter’s decision to stand down. But Platini’s credentials have been called into question over his enthusiastic backing for Qatar’s World Cup bid. Prince Ali bin al-Hussein The President of the Jordan Football Association and a Fifa vice-president could decide to have another shot at the top job.

Last week he received 73 votes from the 209 members in the first round, enough to force a second round, but conceded defeat to Blatter. Ali was among those who called for the publication of the Garcia report into allegations of corruption surrounding Russia’s and Qatar’s bids for the 2018 and 2022 Fifa World Cups. He hinted he would run again, saying: “I’m always there to serve football. We have to do so much work to fix this organisation. I am at the disposal of our national associations.” Luís Figo The former Portuguese international was in the running to challenge Blatter for the presidency but pulled out eight days before the elections to unify support for Prince Ali. He unveiled his manifesto at Wembley in February but was never more than an outsider. When he pulled out of the race to succeed Blatter, he pulled no punches, saying: “This process is a plebiscite for the delivery of absolute power to one man – something I refuse to go along with” and likened Blatter’s tenure to a “dictatorship”. Luis Figo at the launch of his manifesto in February 2015.

Photograph: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images Michael van Praag The Dutchman, like Figo, withdrew his candidacy for the presidency in the run-up to the elections in an effort to get Prince Ali elected. The 66-year-old Uefa ExCo member said when he launched his campaign back in January that he was “very worried about the deteriorating situation at Fifa, the public opinion, the trustworthiness is very bad and with me a lot of people in the world believe so”. It is not yet known whether he will be prepared to stand again. Issa Hayatou The president of the African Football Confederation since 1988, he has been a staunch ally of Blatter . In 2011 he was reprimanded by the International Olympic Committee over his part in an alleged bribery scandal. Hayatou was named on a list of recipients of $100m in kickbacks made by the now defunct sports marketing company ISL between 1989 and 1999. He denies any wrong-doing. In 2002 he ran – and lost – against Blatter in the presidential elections.

The 68-year-old Cameroonian would have the support of a huge number of Africa’s member associations and could carry the support of Blatter loyalists. Jérôme Champagne Another Frenchman who withdrew his candidacy for the Fifa presidency last time round. The former Fifa deputy general had secured nominations from three federations but claimed he had to back away from taking on Blatter because others felt unable for “numerous” reasons to support his bid. With Blatter out of the picture, the 56-year-old former diplomat may feel emboldened enough to put himself forward again. Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah The Kuwaiti suddenly finds himself in a position of influence at Fifa. Levered into place by Blatter to shore up his support in Asia in the face of the challenge from Prince Ali, he has been tipped as a possible Fifa president by those who will want things to remain much as they are. “He’s done a great job for football,” Sheikh Ahmad said of Blatter on the eve of the election. “Nobody can be perfect, 100%. I think he is brave.” Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, pictured in Bangkok in November 2014.

Photograph: Sakchai Lalit/AP And one who now probably won’t be in the running: Jérôme Valcke The current Fifa general secretary would have been among the favourites to replace him before the events of the last week. The Frenchman, who started working for Fifa in 2003, was released by the organisation from his role as marketing director in 2006 after being found guilty of lying to MasterCard and Visa but returned 10 months later, this time as general secretary. On Tuesday, before Blatter resigned, he was under pressure to explain a letter , proving that he was aware of a $10m payment from South African officials to Jack Warner, described by US investigators as a bribe. Updated 17:11 It’s a complex story: allegations, investigations, indictments – and now the announcement that Blatter, 78, would be stepping down as Fifa president. Our chief sports correspondent Owen Gibson gives some more background about why, after 17 years, as virtual head of state, addicted to the power from ruling football’s top body, he accepted the inevitable and resigned.

Owen’s piece – ‘Blatter finally lets go of Fifa as FBI noose tightens’ is here – and gives some more on “the magnitude of the case being built up by the FBI and the US Justice Department”. US investigators have been co-operating with Swiss prosecutors for months and Blatter is sure to have been in their sights. He must have felt the noose tightening. Updated I spoke too soon! Before I leave you, it’s time for a recap of the day’s events for those just joining the party … Sepp Blatter has announced he will resign as Fifa president Blatter will remain in charge until the new president is elected The Swiss attorney general (says Blatter is not under investigation by Swiss authorities “I am now free from the constraints of an election,” says Blatter. “I will be in a position to focus on profound reforms. For many years we have called for reforms.

But these are not sufficient.” The election is likely to be held between December and March Prince Ali has hinted he will stand, David Ginola has said he will while Michel Platini is also among the favourites And over to we go to Tim … Updated 14:58 Disbelief seems to be a common theme among the reactions around the world to Blatter’s resignation, and Uruguayan FA president Wilmar Valdez – also the Conmebol vice-president – is no different. “It’s an incomprehensible decision. He was very certain he could continue. It is clear that someone important got to him in the last few hours for him to make a decision of this kind.” Let’s not forget though, it’s the same Valdez that reacted to Luis Suarez’s World Cup ban for biting by saying … It is an excessive decision and there was not enough evidence and I have seen more aggressive incidents recently. It is a severe punishment. I don’t know exactly which arguments they used but it is a tough punishment for Suarez. It’s feels like Uruguay has been thrown out of the World Cup. Updated

Question: Who is the present FIFA president?
Answer: Sepp Blatter