Dutch Football Association president Michael Van Praag pulled out of the race for the Fifa presidency yesterday to back Ali bin al-Hussein.

Van Praag, who in recent weeks has been backed by Ucatt and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), held a press conference in Amsterdam yesterday evening elaborating on his decision.

Luis Figo also withdrew his candidacy, saying the election process was a “plebiscite for the delivery of absolute power to one man — something I refuse to go along with.”