Fifa president Sepp Blatter will decide his future before 2014 World Cup but hints he will stand again But the Swiss, the most powerful man in world football for more than 15 years, came closer than ever on Thursday to revealing his plans, which he said would reach fruition before Fifa Congress in Sao Paulo on the eve of the World Cup. Blatter admitted Platini was the "logical" choice to succeed him eventually, despite though the once-close relationship between the two having become strained in recent years. He helped me become president in 1998 in Paris where it was us against the rest. It would be a logical continuation," he said. Blatter ended Brazilian Joao Havelange's 24-year reign as Fifa president, winning the election in Paris against then-Uefa chief Lennart Johansson of Sweden. He then defeated Issa Hayatou of Cameroon, president of the African confederation (CAF), in 2002 before winning a third term five years later. Blatter remained in charge in 2011 when Mohamed Bin Hammam of Qatar withdrew from the election just days after being accused of being involved in a bribes for votes scandal. Bin Hammam was later banned from football for life. A third man tipped as a possible presidential candidate is Frenchman Jerome Champagne who worked closely with Blatter at Fifa for 11 years. Champagne was the president's 2002 campaign manager before leaving Fifa in 2010. He has since been working as an independent consultant to a number of national associations.