ZURICH — The future of soccer’s embattled governing body was at stake Friday as Sepp Blatter sought a fifth term as FIFA president amid the biggest corruption crisis in the organization’s 111-year history.
Voting among the 209 member federations began Friday with the 79-year-old Blatter up for re-election against Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan. Both men gave final speeches just before the vote.
Blatter said he would guide FIFA through the "storm" caused by the investigations.
"You know who you are dealing with. I also know that I can count on you," Blatter said. "I am with you. I would just like to stay with you. It is a matter of trust."
A two-thirds majority would be enough for Blatter or Prince Ali to win the secret presidential vote, or a simple majority in a second round of voting. Just forcing the ballot to a second round could represent a victory of sorts for Blatter’s critics, denying the incumbent president an emphatic mandate in his next term.
Leading up to the election, Blatter refused calls to resign after FIFA was targeted by U.S. and Swiss authorities in separate corruption investigations.
Earlier Friday, Blatter spoke at the FIFA congress and said the crisis stems from the decision to award Russia and Qatar the next two World Cup tournaments. In 2010, Russia was chosen to host the 2018 World Cup and Qatar was awarded the 2022 tournament amid widespread allegations of wrongdoing.
"If two other countries had emerged from the envelope, I think we would not have these problems today," Blatter said. "But we can’t go back in time. We are not prophets. We can’t say what would have happened."
The United States was one of the losing bidders for the 2022 World Cup. On Wednesday, U.S. authorities indicted 14 people on bribery, racketeering, fraud and money-laundering charges going back to the 1990s.
Seven of the officials — including two serving FIFA vice-presidents — were arrested in Zurich on Wednesday ahead of the congress.
"I am not going to use the word coincidence but I do have a small question mark," Blatter said about the timing of the raid.
The two criminal investigations have cast a new shadow on Blatter’s 17-year reign as president of FIFA.
Amid the dramatic build up to the election, UEFA president Michel Platini appealed to Blatter on Thursday to immediately step down — calls the president rejected.
"I am willing to accept the president of FIFA is responsible for everything but I would at least like to share that responsibility with everyone," Blatter said in a presidential address on Friday morning. "We cannot constantly supervise everyone in football … you cannot ask everyone to behave ethically."
Blatter also cautioned that "it will take some time" to rebuild FIFA’s reputation.
"The events of Wednesday have unleashed a storm and there was even questioned whether this congress would be organized or change the agenda," Blatter said. "Today I am appealing to unity and team spirit so we can move forward together. That may not always be easy but it is for this reason that we are here together today."