Fifa election - as it happened: Gianni Infantino elected Fifa president

Swiss-Italian wins the race to be the most powerful man in world football

The new Fifa President, Gianni Infantino (Getty)

Here are the latest updates

• Gianni Infantino wins with 115 votes 
• Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa comes second with 88 votes
• Reform vote offers chance of change, not Blatter's successor
• The one reform which might actually make a difference
• Little hope for a brave, new, transparent governing body
• Prince Ali bin al Hussein reprimanded for speaking out about rival candidate
• Governing body dismisses fears over Sheikh Salman human rights record

Follow all the latest from Zurich with our live blog below...

Please allow a moment for the live blog below.

With Fifa set to elect a new leader to herald a brave new era, it remains to be seen if any of the presidential candidates running can offer the change craved so keenly by the masses beyond the corridors of their exhibitionistic Zurich home.

Each candidate will make a 15-minute long speech before the voting process begins. The first vote is expected to take place at 1.30pm.

If no candidate earns a two-thirds majority, a second vote will be held. Further votes will be held until the congress decides upon a majority winner.

Bahrain's Sheikh Salman, Gianni Infantino, Prince Ali of Jordan and Jerome Champagne in contention. Tokyo Sexwale dropped out this afternoon with little suggestion he would recieve enough backing to challenge.

Before the election in the summer of 2015, arrests were made at the request of the United States Department of Justice. Many remain under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in co-ordination with Swiss authorities, over corruption allegedly involving more than $150m (£98m) worth of bribes dating back 24 years.

On Wednesday, Blatter and former Uefa counterpart Michel Platini saw their appeals against eight-year bans, for a "disloyal payment" of £1.3m between the pair, rejected but their suspensions were reduced from eight to six years by Fifa's appeals committee.

[26 February 2016 15:25 · Samuel Stevens]

[26 February 2016 15:27 · CalvinBook]

FIFA version of fantasy football. Voter gets arrested in lobby. Salman & Infantino tie 103 votes each. Blatter re-elected by acclamation.

[26 February 2016 15:40 · Samuel Stevens]

[26 February 2016 16:11 · Simon Evans]

Where will Ali/Champagne votes end up? Impossible to say - candidates don't command their voters. This is a proper election.

[26 February 2016 16:38 · Samuel Stevens]

With the first round of voting proving to be so tight, talks within the congregation could prove to be invaluable for the two favourites Gianni Infantino and Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa.

Supporters of Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein and Jerome Champagne, as well as those who planned on backing Tokyo Sexwale, will be faced with a conundrum now their earlier votes appear to have been in vain. Infantino is known to have the support of most European countries - although not all - which Sheikh Salman is popular in the Middle East. Prince Ali's support, therefore, is likely to be integral.

Will they switch allegiance now or wait until a third round of voting, when the lower candidates are slowly knocked out of the process?

[26 February 2016 16:48 · Samuel Stevens]

As the final vote is registered, from Zimbabwe, we're now edging yet closer to a result in the second round of voting. Remember there is just a four-vote swing required to see Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa overtake Gianni Infantino and win the 2016 Fifa extraordinary congress presidential election. 

A smattering of yawns have been seen on the official Fifa stream as afternoon becomes evening in Zurich and there seems to be a genuine appetite to finalise the day's proceedings in a hurry. The votes will now be counted, with an overall majority of over 50 per cent required this time.

The new Fifa president is speaking to the congregation right now...

[26 February 2016 17:00 · Samuel Stevens]

BREAKING - Gianni Infantino elected president of Fifa

Gianni Infantini has been elected as the man to replace Sepp Blatter as Fifa president, winning an overall majority in the second round of voting.

The Swiss-Italian edged ahead of favourite Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa in the first ballot but failed to secure the two-thirds of the vote required to secure victory.

Infantino picked up 115 votes, needing just 104, to replace Sepp Blatter at the world football governing body. The voting in full:

• Gianni Infantino - 115 votes
• Sheikh Salman - 88 votes
• Prince Ali al-Hussein - 4
• Jerome Champagne - 0

[26 February 2016 17:07 · Samuel Stevens]

Gianni Infantino, new Fifa president: “I cannot express my feelings in this moment. I told you I went through an exceptional journey, which made me meet many fantastic people, who live and breathe football, and many people deserve to see Fifa is highly respected. Everyone in the world will applaud us for what we will do. Everyone will be proud of what we will do.”

[26 February 2016 17:07 · FIFA.com]

With a simple majority of votes in 2nd ballot, Gianni Infantino of Switzerland is elected FIFA President until 2019 http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CcJ_A2DWoAA1sOx.jpg

[26 February 2016 17:38 · Samuel Stevens]

FIFPro STATEMENTFIFPro takes a dim view of today’s FIFA election that leaves the new President, Gianni Infantino, entrenched in a governance structure and culture that is open to corrupt practices.

Despite a package of reforms approved today by FIFA, FIFPro fears placing increased power in the hands of FIFA’s 209 member associations lies at the heart of the problem. These organisations are not representative of the game and, yet, wield enormous influence over issues that affect key stakeholders such as the players, fans, clubs and leagues. The newly-adopted reforms failed to address the fundamental issue of making football authorities accountable to the game’s most important actors.