In last Friday’s vote for Fifa president, Sepp Blatter faced only one challenger: Jordan’s Prince Ali Bin Al Hussain. But after Blatter announced his plans to resign on Tuesday, several names have surfaced as possible candidates in this winter’s special election to choose his successor. Here are some of the favorites:

Prince Ali Bin Al Hussain (Jordan)

A Fifa vice president, Al Hussain’s candidacy won the support of reformers, including US Soccer President Sunil Gulati. Only 39, an Al Hussain presidency would bring world football’s leadership closer to its fan base, which skews younger than many other sports. The last five Fifa presidents were all at least 58 when they took office and the organisation hasn’t had a leader as young as Al Hussain since 1906.

Michel Platini (France)

A three-time Fifa player of the year, Platini, who turns 60 this week, has spent the last nine years leading Uefa, the governing body for European football and arguably the sport’s second-most powerful organisation. But a Platini candidacy may not unite Fifa. Once a Blatter supporter, in recent years Platini has turned on his former ally. That could cost him the votes of smaller federations that have formed the base of the former president’s support while causing Blatter critics to wonder about Platini’s recent change of heart.

Luis Figo (Portugal)

A former standout player, Figo announced in January his candidacy for Fifa president before withdrawing it last month, calling the process “a plebiscite for the delivery of absolute power to one man.” Now that Blatter has resigned, the 42-year-old Figo might reconsider his stand.

Issa Hayatou (Cameroon)

The 68-year-old Hayatou, a former track star, would be the most controversial candidate should he decide to run. As president of the African football confederation since 1988 and a staunch ally of Blatter, he won praise when Fifa, and Blatter, brought the World Cup to the continent for the first time in 2010. But Hayatou also ran against Blatter for president in 2002, winning wide backing in Europe. Few other potential candidates can claim past support from Europe and the developing world. But Hayatou was reprimanded by the International Olympic Committee for his part in an alleged bribery scandal in 2011, as well as a $100-million (Dh367m) kickback scheme between 1989 and 1999. Hayatou denied any wrongdoing.

Michael van Praag (Netherlands)

A long-time sports administrator and chairman of the Royal Dutch football association, Van Praag mounted a Quixotic campaign to unseat Blatter this year. But his reformist candidacy received little notice and Van Praag withdrew before the vote. After welcoming Tuesday’s news, the 67-year-old said he was undecided about running again.