Sepp Blatter resigns as FIFA president amid corruption investigation

Sepp Blatter will resign as president of FIFA after being re-elected only four days ago, Blatter announced on Tuesday.

“While I have a mandate from the membership of FIFA,” said Blatter in a statement about his resignation. “I do not feel that I have a mandate from the entire world of football – the fans, the players, the clubs, the people who live, breathe and love football as much as we all do at FIFA. Therefore, I have decided to lay down my mandate at an extraordinary elective Congress.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested multiple FIFA executives last Wednesday with charges of corruption, while accepting bribes and kickbacks.

Blatter will remain the president for the short-term while a special congress is established to vote for his successor. That congress is expected to take place sometime between December 2015 and March 2016.

“I will continue to exercise my functions as FIFA President until that election,” said Blatter in a statement. “The next ordinary FIFA Congress will take place on 13 May 2016 in Mexico City. This would create unnecessary delay and I will urge the Executive Committee to organize an Extraordinary Congress for the election of my successor at the earliest opportunity.”

Blatter, 79, became FIFA’s president in 1998 and has held the position for 17 years , while being accused of corruption on multiple occasions throughout his tenure.

FIFA’s most recent controversy may well be the awarding of the 2018 FIFA World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar, which has no soccer history on the international level.

It is still unknown whether or not those World Cups will still be held in Russia and Qatar, but human rights activist have already been heavily critical of the labor work going on in Qatar to get the promised stadiums up in time for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Blatter beat out Prince Ali bin Hussain in the presidential election on Friday during the FIFA Congress, winning his fifth term.

This is a developing story and we will update it as more information becomes available.