Shaikh Salman, Infantino blow open presidency race

Bahrain's Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa and UEFA secretary-general Gianni Infantino blew the race to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president wide open as the bidding process closed at midnight on Monday.

Eight candidates had confirmed their bids but FIFA will not publish the final list until later on Tuesday.

Swiss lawyer Infantino's campaign in particular will come as a huge blow to suspended UEFA president Michel Platini's own faltering hopes in the February election.