David Beckham welcomes Figo FIFA bid

Former Real Madrid star David Beckham has welcomed a bid by Figo to run for presidency of FIFA this year.

The ex-Los Blancos winner is the only former player to put himself forward for election for football’s top job when the elections take place in May. Incumbent Sepp Blatter wants to stay for another term but faces competition from the likes of Figo, FIFA vice president Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein and Dutch football association chairman Michael van Praag.

In a statement published by the Associated Press, Beckham welcomed his former team mate’s move and said football’s governing body needed to have people who are passionate about the game at the very top.

“I welcome the candidacy of my friend Luis for FIFA president. Any successful organization needs to have good people who are passionate about the game and want to do the best for fans,” Beckham said.

He added: “FIFA will only benefit from having a wide range of strong candidates … it’s good to see people volunteer.”

Figo played for Real between 2000 and 2005 having joined from Barcelona. In 2003, he was joined at the Santiago Bernabeu by Beckham, who completed a switch from Manchester United. The pair played in a formidable midfield trio alongside 1998 World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane.