FIFA vote goes to second round after Blatter fails to win two-thirds majority in bid to retain grip on power in battle with rival Ali

Voting in the FIFA presidency went to a second round on Friday night but Sepp Blatter is on course for victory having fallen just seven votes short of a first round majority.

The incumbent president gained 133 votes to the 73 of his opponent Prince Ali bin al-Hussein. The second round of voting started at just after 6pm UK time.

In his final hustings speech before the 209 member associations of FIFA made their way into the sealed voting booths in the congress hall in Zurich, Prince Ali called for reform. 

Blatter promised to make changes to restore people's faith, saying: 'We don't need revolutions we need evolutions. I'm being held accountable for the storm, okay, I will shoulder that responsibility. 

 

Sepp Blatter is confident of winning a fifth term as FIFA president in Friday afternoon's election in Zurich

Blatter presents a pennant to his election rival Prince Ali bin al-Hussein today in recognition of his efforts on the executive committee 

The delegate from Austria casts his vote in the election to decide FIFA's next president 

FA chairman Greg Dyke steps forward to cast his vote in Friday's presidential election in Zurich

Two voting booths were set up on the stage in Zurich to enable delegates to cast their votes

Blatter is all smiles as voting gets underway at the FIFA Congress. The voting phase took 90 minutes

'I will take it upon myself. I will accept this responsibility and I want to fix FIFA together with you.'

He added: 'At the end of my term of office I want to hand over a strong FIFA.'

The 79-year-old went on to talk about corruption directly, but stressed it is not the only issue facing FIFA going forward.

'Corruption is a word that is bandied around so much. We also have to protect our house from racism, match-fixing, violence,' he said.

Spreading out his arms to applause, he added: 'I would just like to stay with you, I would like to continue with you.' 

Prince Ali used his speech to call for reform, saying: 'We have heard in recent days, voices which described our FIFA as an avaricious body which feeds on the game that the world loves.

'We have heard questions raised about whether our family is morally bankrupt. And we have heard countless individuals ponder how on earth it could have gotten so bad.  

A candidate prepares to cast his vote inside the booth in the presidential election 

Blatter walks to the podium to deliver his final hustings speech beneath the flags of the member nations

Blatter's opponent, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, makes his final hustings speech before the election

Each of the candidates had 15 minutes to outline their pledges before voting got underway in Zurich

Blatter walks past the UEFA president Michel Platini, who urged his member nations to vote for Prince Ali

'There are no easy answers. And no blame that can be cast that will wash away the stain that marks us all.

'And yet, nothing in life can exist without hope. And even the darkest nights are broken by a new dawn.'

The 39-year-old head of the Jordanian FA added: 'Change is not an event. It is a process. It is not about empowering wrong doing and then demanding to root it out.

'Our path - and our way to the future - must be lit by the creation of a culture that empowers transparency, inclusivity and accountability.

'Our rehabilitation in public perception will only come through the actions and work of all of us, together, pulling in the same direction, for the good of the sport, and for FIFA.'  

David Gill becomes a FIFA vice-president, but he has said he will resign if Blatter is re-elected today

UEFA president Michel Platini greets FIFA head Sepp Blatter as the FIFA Congress begins on Friday

Blatter tried to strike a defiant tone after a turbulent week that saw FIFA mired in corruption charges

Earlier, in a rambling speech to open Friday's FIFA Congress, beleaguered Blatter claimed things would be different if two other countries had emerged from the envelopes.

He meant England for 2018 and USA for 2022 – a dig at the British media who have led the anti-Blatter agenda and the FBI, whose investigations led to seven arrests and 14 officials indicted on bribery and kickback charges by the US Attorney.  

Blatter said: 'They call into question the World Cups of 2018 and 2022. In December 2010 here in Zurich when we decided on the two World Cups in one session.

'If two other countries had emerged from the envelopes, we would not have these problems today. But we can’t go back in time, we are not prophets. We can’t say what would have happened.'