Back to the Philadelphia Union Newsfeed

Gianni Infantino elected new preisdent of FIFA

Infantino will replace the embattled Sepp Blatter as president of the world governing body of soccer.

UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino has been elected the new president of FIFA during Friday's extraordinary congress. Infantino will succeed fellow countryman Sepp Blatter, who has been embroiled in corruption allegations and legal troubles. Infantino's closest competitor was Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain, who was defeated in the second round of voting.

Infantino now faces the monumental task of cleaning up an organization that has been riddled with corruption allegations through the year and has seen it's members face charges from the US Justice Department and Swiss Attorney General's Office.