FIFA election: How will the voting go, and how does it all work?

On Friday, football’s future course will be charted when the FIFA presidential elections take place in Zurich.

Incumbent Sepp Blatter, who has ruled FIFA for four terms and is seeking a fifth, is ploughing on regardless despite the crisis which has enveloped the governing body since the FBI and Swiss authorities arrested FIFA members amid two separate corruption investigations.

But is there any chance of unseating the hated Blatter? And how does it all work anyway?

Here we explain the intricacies of the FIFA voting process, as well as telling you how the ballot is likely to go with a region-by-region analysis.

Blatter’s name remains on the ballot paper despite seeing seven of his FIFA colleagues arrested and charged with extensive corruption at the behest of the US attorney general. He was first elected in 1998 to replace Joao Havelange and has presided over some of the worst crises in the organisation’s history. Blatter has also taken the World Cup global, overseeing awards to South Africa and Qatar, amongst others.

His opponent is Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, at 39 far younger than the 79-year-old Blatter. He has headed the Jordanian football association since 1999 and has positioned himself as the reform candidate.

In a symbolic piece of FIFA transparency, the organisation has not yet said when the actual vote will take place, although it is anticipated that the process will begin in the afternoon, around 4pm UK time. The two candidates are expected to make speeches from 3pm.

The presidential vote is a secret ballot which each of FIFA’s 209 member associations having one vote, meaning Germany have as much say as Faroe Islands. The members will vote in alphabetical order, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.

A result will be declared in the first round of voting if either candidate polls two-thirds of the votes – or 140. If no result is declared then we go to a second round of voting, in which only a simple majority is required.

Seen as Blatter's voting heartland, Africa's FIFA representatives are staunch Blatterites, probably thanks to his patronage and promotion of the continent's interests within FIFA. The president of the Nigerian Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, summed up the prevailing mood when telling the BBC: "We've done our homework. For Africa they have 54 votes and maybe one might slip off and might go to another. But I can assure you in Africa we'll get a minimum of 50 votes. And we know our friends from Asia, our friends from Latin America so I can assure you it's going to be a good victory for him."

Europe has come out most strongly against Blatter's rule. It put forward a number of candidates, including Luis Figo, before uniting behind Prince Ali. President Michel Platini revealed yesterday he personally pleaded with Blatter to go, to no avail. Europe does not vote as a bloc, and there are some dissenters in the camp. According to Platini, 45 or 46 of UEFA's 53 votes are destined for Prince Ali. A healthy amount, but he needs to build alternative power bases to have any chance of unseating the incumbent.

Asia is another traditional Blatter stronghold and is expected to go heavily for the current president, despite the rival candidate being an AFC man. However, there have been whispers that dramatic machinations have been taking place behind the scenes with Kuwaiti Sheikh Ahmad - who has been seen as a 'kingmaker' in proceedings - spotted last night deep in conversation with Platini.

According to Worldfootballinsider, "If Sheikh Ahmad had a dramatic change of heart - it would be a major shock if he turned on Blatter - and switched alliances to back Prince Ali, he might use his influence to persuade a number of Asian, African and CONCACAF delegates to join his crusade. If that scenario materialised, he could almost certainly deliver a stack of votes to give Prince Ali a strong chance of ousting Blatter."

The Caribbean vote was expected to go wholesale to Blatter but that was before FIFA vice-president Jeffrey Webb was arrested in the FBI sting. Now Blatter's support could be fracturing in the region. “I came here without a doubt that I’m going to vote for Blatter,” Randolph Harris, president of Barbados' football federation, told Bloomberg. “[Now] the people of the Caribbean have realised with the latest scandal they have to think carefully about the future.”

US Soccer chief Sunil Gulati has also thrown his weight behind Prince Ali, along with Canada, even if it damages the country's chances of hosting a World Cup in future: "If being on right side of issues costs us hosting a World Cup, that would be unfortunate but we are prepared to deal with that.”

If Prince Ali is to take Blatter's crown then exploiting divisions in this region is essential.

Oceanic nations have enjoyed extensive patronage from Blatter's FIFA and will almost certainly stand behind him again. All 11 nations pledged to back Blatter at the January congress in Papua New Guinea but now New Zealand have broken from that agreement, with NZF President Mark Aspden saying: "Beyond question the game has been brought into disrepute by recent events and we need a change. We have had a look at who we believe to be the best candidate leading the organisation going forward. We don't believe reforms can happen under President Blatter's leadership. Of course our candidate may not be successful... but that's up to the 209 voters."

The image of South American football has been damaged badly by FIFA's succession of scandals such has been the alleged nexus of corruption across the continent. Indeed, with one representative arrested and another fleeing, there has been speculation that Brazil might not be able to offer a vote.

CONMEBOL is traditionally behind Blatter but there are suggestions that Uruguay, still furious about the treatment of Luis Suarez following his World Cup bite, may back Prince Ali. The situation in South America, from the outside at least, looks pretty volatile.

Blatter is expected to win fairly easily. Prince Ali is said to be hopeful he has 60 votes on top of his expected 45 from Europe which could put him over the top, but it’s an optimistic analysis.

With 54 African votes almost certainly in Blatter’s pocket, and the vast majority of the 46 on offer from Asia and most of the 35 from CONCACAF going his way as well – plus a healthy number from South America and Oceania – it seemed a few days ago that only an earthquake would stop his re-election.

But then the FBI came knocking at the door…