The United States will not favor another term for FIFA President Sepp Blatter during Friday’s election, the president of U.S. Soccer acknowledged Thursday, instead casting a ballot for the embattled incumbent’s sole rival after seven top executives were arrested this week on corruption charges.
Sunil Gulati told the New York Times in an interview that the U.S. delegate would vote for Jordan’s Prince Ali Bin Hussein, who is not expected to succeed in the vote involving 209 member nations. Gulati said he made the decision to vote against Blatter months ago, but this week’s arrests confirmed his decision.
“Would I like to see the United States host a World Cup in the future?” he asked. “The answer is, of course, yes. But for me, and for U.S. soccer, better governance and more integrity at Concacaf and FIFA are far more important than hosting any international soccer tournament.”
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