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
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