Who will replace Sepp Blatter as FIFA president?

In the wake of Sepp Blatter's surprising announcement that he would be stepping down as FIFA president, the conversation quickly turned to who that man might be.

After all, the consensus went, what use is it to replace one enabler of corruption – and possible participator – with another? (Just as Blatter had succeeded Joao Havelange, who was considered to be every bit as crooked.)

[Slideshow: Betting odds on who will be the next FIFA president]

This will be a complicated process, however. A lot of the mechanisms that kept Blatter in power for so long – namely the equal revenue sharing among the 209 member nations, no matter their size or population – remain in place, for now anyway. And the African, Asian and South American confederations have long been weary of UEFA, the European governing body, which will produce most of the candidates but could also be seen as a threat to their revenue streams and sovereignty.

So FC Yahoo is taking a look at the men favored to jump into the power vacuum and seize control of one of the world's most influential organizations, which is expected to hold a vote sometime between December and March of 2016:

Michel Platini

Country: France
Current occupation: UEFA president; FIFA Vice President
Resumé:
• One of the best midfielders ever
• Has overseen peace in UEFA ranks
• Long considered the heir apparent to Blatter
• Supported and voted for the since-disgraced Qatari bid for the 2022 World Cup
Chances: Strong. Considered by many to be the favorite.

Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein
Country: Jordan
Current occupation: President of the Jordan Football Association
Resumé:
• Former FIFA Vice President for Asia
• Called for the publication of the Garcia Report from within FIFA (an internal investigation of the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar, respectively, which FIFA commissioned, published a heavily redacted summary of and then classified)
• Opposed Blatter in the latest election, losing 133-73 in the first round, before withdrawing from the run-off
Chances: Strong. Has already won the mandate of a third of the member nations. Has confirmed to CNN that he would run again.

Luis Figo
Country: Portugal
Current occupation: None
Resumé:
• One of soccer's biggest stars at the turn of the century
• Announced bid to run against Blatter in 2015, dropping out before the election
Chances: Slim. Figo has no experience in management or leadership whatsoever.

Michael van Praag
Country: Netherlands
Current occupation: President of the Royal Dutch Football Association
Resumé:
• Former chairman of Ajax during its mid-90s heyday
• Vocal advocate for FIFA reform
• Announced bid to run against Blatter in 2015, dropping out before the election
Chances: Poor. Has the experience to lead the world governing body, but seems to lack the critical mass of support to win an election.

Jerome Valcke
Country: France
Current occupation: FIFA General Secretary
Resumé:
• FIFA General Secretary since 2007
• Considered a possible heir to Blatter
Chances: Marginal. Has been implicated in the same bribery scandal that may have caused Blatter to resign; could have been more deeply involved than Blatter himself, in fact. More likely to follow Blatter out the door.

Issa Hayatou
Country: Cameroon
Current occupation: Senior Vice President of FIFA
Resumé:
• President of the Confederation of African Football since 1988
• Lost FIFA presidential election to Blatter in 2002.
• Accused of and reprimanded for taking bribes in the 1990s
Chances: Slim. One of the most powerful men in FIFA, and ensconced there since 1990, he'll probably be seen as too closely aligned with the old Blatter regime.

Jerome Champagne
Country: France
Current occupation: Unknown
Resumé:
• Spent 11 years at FIFA in various advisory and executive roles
• Vocal advocate for reform
• Challenged Blatter in the last election, but dropped out early because of a lack of support
Chances: Minimal. Never found any traction as a possible successor to Blatter.