Gianni Infantino of Switzerland elected new FIFA president

World Today

Gianni Infantino. (AFP / FABRICE COFFRINI)

With 115 votes, Gianni Infantino of Switzerland has become the new FIFA president after winning in the second round of secret ballots.

Infantino got 115 of the 207 eligible votes to take a decisive majority ahead of Sheikh Salman of Bahrain.

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Sheikh Salman got 88 votes after being the front-runner during the four-month campaign. Prince Ali of Jordan had four, and Jerome Champagne of France got zero.

In the first round, Infantino surprising led with 88 votes. Sheikh Salman had 85 votes, Prince Ali 27, and Champagne seven.

Infantino, the 45-year-old general secretary of European governing body UEFA, is the second straight FIFA president from the Valais region in the Swiss Alps. The 45-year-old from Brig replaces the 79-year-old Blatter, who was born in neighboring Visp.

Story by The Associated Press