Sepp Blatter resigns: Prince Ali of Jordan says quitting was 'right move' for outgoing Fifa president

Prince Ali was Sepp Blatter's only opponent in the Fifa presidential elections

Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein has said it was right for Blatter to resign (Salah Malkawi/Getty Images for Soccerex)

Jordan's Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, Sepp Blatter’s only opponent in Fifa’s recent presidential election, has called the beleaguered leader’s resignation “the right move” amid a widening corruption scandal engulfing the organisation.

Blatter announced his resignation at a hastily called press conference at the Fifa headquarters, just days after he was re-elected to serve a fifth term.

Elections for Blatter’s successor will be held in December at the earliest, Fifa officials have said.

The outgoing president told reporters in Zurich: “Fifa’s interest are dear to me. That’s why I have taken this decision. What counts most for me, is the institution of Fifa and football around the world.”

Prince Ali, a current Fifa vice president who was backed by mainly European nations in the election last week, told CNN: ”I think that it is the right move from Sepp Blatter and I think we have to look to the future.“

Following his relatively poor showing in the Fifa ballot during which he gained 73 votes to Blatter’s 133, Prince Ali repeatedly declined to say if he'd run again.

"I am at the disposal of all the national associations who want a change, including all of those who were afraid to make a change," he said.

Blatter’s four-decade career at Fifa has come to an end as US investigation into alleged widespread financial corruption dating back over twenty years has plunged the organisation into crisis.

In a dawn raid, seven senior officials were arrested in Zurich as part of a US investigation, which coincided with a Swiss probe into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar, respectively.

The office of the Swiss Attorney General, which is investigating alleged criminal mismanagement and money laundering at FIFA, has confirmed that Blatter's announcement would have no effect on its proceedings, and that he was subject to investigation.