Federation Internationale de Football Association vote goes to second round after no contender gets majority

In a bid to salvage their image, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) on Friday passed “a package of landmark reforms that pave the way for significant improvements to the governance of global football”.

His resignation prompted the world governing body’s extraordinary congress in the most pivotal period of FIFA’s 112-year history.

“We stand united in our determination to put things right, so that the focus can return to football once again”, Issa Hayatou, the group’s acting president, explained in a statement. “The approval of the reforms will send a strong message that we have listened and that we are taking the action necessary to regain trust and improve our performance”.

“It will help to restore trust in our organisation and it will deter future wrongdoing”.

The reforms come in the wake of a year of scandals, criminal indictments, and reprimands and suspensions for multiple executives, including the removal of longtime FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

“We are of the view that expanding the membership of the FIFA Council and potentially the World Cup, does not address what it is purports to do, but entrench a larger power elite”.

While debate about the reforms is predicted none of them is expected to be rejected.

The FIFA presidential election went into a second round on Friday after Gianni Infantino led the first round but did not get a two-thirds majority.

New Football Stakeholder Committee to ensure greater transparency and inclusion through broader stakeholder representation (including players, clubs and leagues). The quartet were vying for 207 votes from FIFA’s member associations (Kuwait and Indonesia are suspended).

All of the five candidates have said they will bring change, if elected.

FIFA’s commitment to human rights will be enshrined in its statutes.

 Mr. Blatter had already announced his resignation saying he would continue until a successor could be found, despite months of controversy surrounding world football’s governing body and the emergence of corruption scandals related to many of its leading figures.