Platini withdraws candidacy for FIFA presidency

Platini had initially been seen as the favourite to replace Blatter in the Feb. 26 election where each of 209 national football associations who are members of FIFA hold one vote.

"I had... about hundred of official letters of support from federations and about 50 pledges, in two days," Platini said.

Five candidates, none of them clear favourites, will take part in the election and a chance for the job of rebuilding the sport's beleaguered governing body.

They are Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan, Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain, former FIFA official Jerome Champagne of France, UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino of Switzerland and South Africa businessman Tokyo Sexwale.

Infantino has been Platini's right-hand man at UEFA and announced his candidacy after the Frenchman had been initially suspended in October.

Champagne, although a compatriot of Platini, is known to be a critic, has no connections with UEFA and says that FIFA's priority must be to spread the game's riches more evenly around the world.