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| Where would Sepp Blatter rank among longest-serving world leaders? | Where would Sepp Blatter rank among longest-serving world leaders? |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Sepp Blatter has been in charge of Fifa for 17 years and is seeking another four-year term in office. | |
| If the governing body of global football were a state, that would make the Swiss administrator the world’s 18th-longest-serving leader, excluding royalty. | If the governing body of global football were a state, that would make the Swiss administrator the world’s 18th-longest-serving leader, excluding royalty. |
| The Cameroonian president, Paul Biya, is currently top of the list, having been in charge of the country for four decades. Biya was prime minister from 1975 before taking his current presidential role in 1982. | The Cameroonian president, Paul Biya, is currently top of the list, having been in charge of the country for four decades. Biya was prime minister from 1975 before taking his current presidential role in 1982. |
| Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of Iran is the only non-African leader in the top five – having served as president from 1981 before becoming supreme leader in 1989. He comes behind Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea in second place, José Eduardo dos Santos of Angola in third place, and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe in fourth place. | |
| Blatter became Fifa president in June 1998, defeating Lennart Johansson, then the president of Uefa, by 111 votes to 80 in the contest to succeed Brazilian João Havelange. | |
| If Blatter succeeds in getting another four-year term, he will still be just short of matching Havelange’s time in office – the Brazilian took charge in 1974 and stayed there for 24 years. | If Blatter succeeds in getting another four-year term, he will still be just short of matching Havelange’s time in office – the Brazilian took charge in 1974 and stayed there for 24 years. |
| Fifa presidents do tend to stick around. Of the eight that have been elected since the organisation was founded in 1904, five have served for at least 12 years. | Fifa presidents do tend to stick around. Of the eight that have been elected since the organisation was founded in 1904, five have served for at least 12 years. |
| Frenchman Jules Rimet holds the record, having spent 33 years at the top. His tenure included organising the first World Cup in 1930, which was held in Uruguay. |