FIFA will not change Feb. 26 election date

FIFA will not change the date of the 2016 presidential election amid concerns that the recent suspensions of multiple declared candidates would prompt the governing body to do so.

FIFA will not change the date of the 2016 presidential election amid concerns that the recent suspensions of multiple declared candidates would prompt the governing body to do so.

The FIFA Executive Committee announced in a press release that it had confirmed Feb. 26, 2016, as the date for the election at its extraordinary session in Zurich on Tuesday. 

The stability of that date came under question by presidential candidate Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan last week after UEFA president and rival candidate Michel Platini was suspended 90 days by FIFA’s ethics committee. 

Platini has already submitted his candidacy, but may be declared ineligible due to the investigation of a $2 million payment that he received from FIFA for work that he claims was carried out at least nine years earlier. 

• Suspended FIFA presidential hopeful Michel Platini: I'm bulletproof

Platini is the second potential candidate that has been suspended, after South Korea’s Chung Mong-joon was banned by the ethics committee for six years on Oct. 8.

While candidates have until Oct. 26 to submit their bids for candidacy, submissions of those facing bans will not be processed until those suspensions are completed. 

Along with the announcement of the election date, the FIFA reform committee recommended setting term limits (12 years) and age limits (74) for the FIFA president. 

Prince Ali, who lost the 2015 presidential election to suspended former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, is expected to be the front runner in 2016. Former Trinidad and Tobago player David Nakhid is the only other member to submit their bid so far.

Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has also indicated that he has been pushed to run, and is seeking advice from his colleagues before making a decision. 

- Alex Nieves

GALLERY: Faces of the FIFA Scandal

Faces of the FIFA Scandal

Sepp Blatter

Elyxandro Cegarra/Panoramic/Icon Sportswire

FIFA president

Jerome Valcke

Dmitry Lovetsky/AP

FIFA general secretary

Michel Platini

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

UEFA president; FIFA Vice President; FIFA presidential hopeful

Jack Warner

Sean Drakes/LatinContent/Getty Images

Ex–CONCACAF president; FIFA Vice President

Jeffrey Webb

Matt Rourke/AP

Ex–Cayman Islands federation and CONCACAF president; FIFA Vice President

Chuck Blazer

Mike Hewitt/FIFA via Getty Images

Ex-CONCACAF general secretary; FIFA executive committee

Alfredo Hawit

Orlando Sierra/AFP/Getty Images

CONCACAF President; FIFA vice president, executive committee; Former president, Honduras football federation

Juan Angel Napout

Martin Rose/FIFA/Getty Images

CONMEBOL president, FIFA vice president, executive committee; Former president, Paraguay football federation

Jose Luis Meiszner

Juan Mabromata/AFP/Getty Images

CONMEBOL general secretary

Marco Polo del Nero

Buda Mendes/Getty Images

Former FIFA executive committee; President, Brazil football federation

Ricardo Teixeira

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Former FIFA executive committee; Former president, Brazil football federation

Eduardo Li

Jamie McDonald/FIFA via Getty Images

Ex–Costa Rica federation president; FIFA, CONCACAF executive committees

Eugenio Figueredo

Alan Diaz/AP

Ex–Uruguay federation and CONMEBOL president; FIFA Vice President

Jose Maria Marin

Buda Mendes/Getty Images

Ex–Brazil federation president; CONMEBOL executive committee

Rafael Salguero

Alexander Hassenstein/FIFA/Getty Images

Former FIFA executive committee; Former president, Guatemalan football federation

Manuel Burga

Ernesto Benavides/AFP/Getty Images

FIFA development committee; Former president, Peru football federation

Ariel Alvarado

Arnulfo Franco/AP

Former president, Panama football federation; FIFA disciplinary committee

Eduardo Deluca

LatinContent/STR/Getty Images

Former CONMEBOL, Argentina football federation general secretary

Luís Chiriboga

Rodrigo Buendia/AFP/Getty Images

CONMEBOL executive committee; President, Ecuador football federation

Rafael Callejas

Clive Mason/FIFA/Getty Images

FIFA television and marketing committee; Former president, Honduras; Former president, Honduras football federation

Rafael Esquivel

Leo Ramirez/AFP/Getty Images

Ex–Venezuela federation president; CONMEBOL executive committee

Carlos Chavez

Aizar Raldes/AFP/Getty Images

CONMEBOL treasurer; Former president, Bolivia football federation

Nicolas Leoz

Jorge Saenz/AP

Ex–CONMEBOL president, FIFA executive committee

Julio Rocha

Esteban Felix/AP

Ex–Nicaragua federation and Central American Football Union president

Romer Osuna

Aizar Raldes/AFP/Getty Images

FIFA audit and compliance committee; Former CONMEBOL treasurer.

Alejandro Burzaco

Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images

CEO of Torneos y Competencias

Aaron Davidson

Kevin Hagen/AP

President, Traffic Sports USA

Hugo Jinkis

Maxi Failla/AP

President, Full Play Group

Mariano Jinkis

Maxi Failla/AP

Vice President, Full Play Group

Loretta Lynch

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

U.S. Attorney General

Michael Lauber

Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

Switzerland Attorney General

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