Blatter Fails to Win First Round of FIFA Presidential Vote

Officials open ballot boxes as vote counting got underway following the vote to decide on the FIFA presidency in Zurich on May 29, 2015.
Photographer: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

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By Anne Swardson

May 29, 2015 at 5:02 PM UTC

Updated on

May 29, 2015 at 5:10 PM UTC

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FIFA President Sepp Blatter was forced into a second round of voting as he struggled to retain his 17-year hold on global soccer following a corruption investigation into his inner circle.

Blatter, who hasn’t had an opponent in balloting since 2002, was weakened by the arrest and detention of nine current and former FIFA officials this week, as well as five others. He now faces Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, a FIFA vice president, in a second round.