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Luis Figo to stand against Sepp Blatter for Fifa presidency

Luis Figo has announced he will stand against Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency.

Reports claim Figo has already received the necessary five nominations. Credit: PA

The 42-year-old former Portugal international and world footballer of the year is understood to already have the minimum five nominations.

There should now be at least four candidates in the contest after nominations close on Friday.

As well as Blatter and Figo, Jordan's Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein and Dutch FA president Michael van Praag are also standing.

In an interview with CNN, the former Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan star said:

I care about football so what I'm seeing regarding the image of FIFA - not only now but in the past years - I don't like it.

If you search FIFA on the internet you see the first word that comes out: scandal, not positive words. It's that we have to change first and try to improve the image of FIFA. Football deserves much better than this.

I've been talking with so many important people in football - players, managers, president of federations - and they all think that something has to be done.

Last year was the World Cup, I was in Brazil and I saw the reaction of all the fans regarding the image of FIFA and I think something has to be changed. Change in leadership, governance, transparency and solidarity, so I think it's the moment for that.

– Former World Player of the Year Luis Figo