51st FIFA Congress

1998 FIFA presidential election

8 June 1998
 
Candidate Sepp Blatter Lennart Johansson
Home state Switzerland Sweden
Popular vote 111 80
Percentage 58.12% 41.88%

President before election

João Havelange

Next President

Sepp Blatter

The 51st FIFA Congress was held between 6 and 8 June 1998, at the Equinox congress hall in Paris, France, just before the start of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. It was the last biannual meeting of the international governing body of association football FIFA, since 1998 the congress has been held on an annual basis. The congress saw the election of Joseph "Sepp" Blatter as the 8th President of FIFA who succeeded João Havelange. Havelange had held the presidency since 1974.