Gianni Infantino elected as FIFA president

Gianni Infantino, a Swiss-Italian lawyer who can often be seen orchestrating a draw somewhere on the planet, is FIFA's ninth president.

On Friday, at the Extraordinary FIFA Congress in Zurich, Switzerland, 207 of the 209 member associations that comprise football's governing body voted on a successor to Sepp Blatter, who was banned from all football-related activities for six years after making a "disloyal payment" to Michel Platini at FIFA's expense in February 2011.

Related: FIFA Appeal Committee grants Sepp Blatter, Michel Platini reduction of sentences

After two rounds of balloting were needed for the first time since 1974, Infantino, who has been at UEFA for 15 years and became its general secretary in 2009, emerged as FIFA's new kingpin, receiving 115 votes to Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa's 88 votes.

As a result, he will serve as the governing body's new president until 2019.

"Dear friends, I cannot express my feelings in this moment," Infantino said in his acceptance speech. "I told you I went through a journey, an exceptional journey, a journey which made me meet many fantastic people - many people who love football, who live football, who breathe football every day, and many people who deserve that FIFA is highly respected.

"And we will restore the image of FIFA and the respect of FIFA, and everyone in the world will applaud us and will applaud all of you for what we'll do in FIFA in the future. We have to be proud of FIFA, and everyone has to be proud of FIFA and we have to be proud of what we'll do together in FIFA."

Related - New president Infantino: 'You will be proud of what FIFA does for football'

Infantino entered the race for FIFA's presidency in November after Platini was provisionally banned from all football-related activities. He unveiled a 90-day reform plan at the beginning of February and will push for an increase in the number of national teams at the World Cup from 32 to 40.

In addition to the support of the majority of FIFA's member associations, Infantino received the backing of a number of notable footballers, both former and current, in the buildup to the election.

"Europe has to do much more ... we have to break down the walls that exist in football," Infantino said earlier in the day, during his opening speech at FIFA's congress. "I am committed to do much more ... and this will be done as of tomorrow. Europe is the continent that forged me, where I was given the chance to work. That's why, when I speak about figures, I know what I speak about. When I've been managing UEFA the revenues have gone up nearly three times, in a time of financial crisis.

"The money of FIFA is your money, not the money of the FIFA president. If we develop football with FIFA's money the world will look at us and applaud us. We have to speak again about football - of course we have to implement the reforms ... but then we have to develop football, and for this we need a strong leader and a strong leadership. A leader alone, however, cannot do anything, so I need you.

"My pledge to you is let's bring FIFA forward together."

By virtue of the reform package that was passed at the congress, Infantino will be limited to a maximum of three terms in office.