UEFA acting president Angel Maria Villar of Spain is seen a on giant screen above UEFA executive members during an extraordinary congress on the eve of a FIFA presidential election on February 25, 2016 in Zurich. Europe's Gianni Infantino and Asian football leader Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al Khalifa led the five man battle for votes ahead of crisis-stricken FIFA's landmark vote for a new president.

The five men vying for the leadership of world soccer made their final eve-of-vote pitches yesterday, outlining competing visions for the future of governing body FIFA as it tries to recover from the worst corruption scandal in its history.

Delegates from more than 200 countries will elect a new president today to succeed Sepp Blatter of Switzerland, two days after Blatter and European soccer chief Michel Platini lost their appeals against bans for ethics violations.

Platini said unelected bureaucrats "have taken control" of FIFA, telling French sports daily L'Equipe that "they are the ones who did everything to fire me."

Platini and Blatter had their bans from the sport cut to six years from previous eight years. Platini said he would appeal again at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The suspended UEFA president said he had faith in Gianni Infantino, UEFA's top bureaucrat who is a candidate in the FIFA election.

Whoever takes over from Blatter, who ran FIFA for 17 years, will inherit a very different job with a focus on crisis management.

"The world is waiting and watching — this is the biggest milestone in the history of FIFA. It will decide if FIFA goes ahead as we want or if it spirals down," said Jordanian candidate Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein.

South Africa's Tokyo Sexwale described FIFA as "broken" and a damaged brand, though he also referred to some of those felled in the scandal as "friends we have lost."

Swiss candidate Infantino repeated his promise to offer each of FIFA's members US$5 million to invest in the sport over a four-year period — more than double the US$2.05 million per federation provided from 2011-14. He said this could be achieved "easily" by tackling the cost structure of FIFA.

Frontrunner

Bahrain's Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, who along with Infantino is seen as a frontrunner, was more cautious, speaking of a ‘realistic' increase in funding.

"For me, if the numbers are right, we can increase — but I am not ready to mortgage FIFA's future in winning an election."

French outsider Jerome Champagne took a shot at Infantino's globe-trotting campaign by saying the election had been "unbalanced."

"I did not have a private jet to visit you, take a photo and then tweet and say I have got the endorsement," he said to laughter from delegates.

The two favorites were both upbeat. "I am feeling good and very positive. The support I am receiving fills me with confidence," Infantino said.

A spokesman for his Bahraini rival said: "Sheikh Salman is very confident about tomorrow's vote."

FIFA was plunged into turmoil last year when several dozen current and former officials were indicted in the United States for corruption after an investigation spanning dozens of countries into wire fraud, money laundering and bribery. Switzerland has also launched a criminal investigation.

Acting FIFA president Issa Hayatou appealed to FIFA members in what he called one of the most important weeks in the history of global football, urging them to support a package of reforms on governance. These include introducing term limits for top officials and requiring them to disclose their earnings.

"I urge each of you to support the reforms in full here this week, and then to implement them to their entirety at home," Hayatou said. "This will send a strong message that we have listened and that we are taking the action necessary to give football the foundation, and protection, it needs for the future."

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