South America's football federation has thrown its support behind FIFA president Joseph Blatter, who is facing an election challenge from Asian football confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam.
In a statement, the governing body CONMEBOL said it was giving its ''united and full'' support to Blatter. The statement was issued during CONMEBOL's executive committee meetings, which are being attended by Blatter.
Blatter faces a vote on June 1 and is seeking his fourth term, which he says will be his last. He has led FIFA since 1998.
The support was expected and announced in a statement by 79-year-old Julio Grondona, who is a high-ranking FIFA vice president and the president of the Argentine Football Association.
''South America is united and fully committed in its support for Blatter's candidacy,'' CONMEBOL said, quoting Grondona. ''There is no doubt about this.''
Blatter, who has been widely criticized for the way World Cup hosts are chosen, has promised wide-ranging changes as he campaigns for reelection.
Blatter told the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine he would set up a watchdog committee to supervise how FIFA works and ''restore the credibility'' of football's governing body.
Blatter said the process for selecting World Cup sites should be similar to that of the International Olympic Committee for Olympic venues.
FIFA was criticized for its last two choices of World Cup hosts - Russia (2018) and Qatar (2022). Both decisions came at the same time, with two executive committee members barred from voting because of corruption allegations. Four other senior officials were also suspended.
''It's a project I've had at the back of my mind,'' Blatter told the paper. ''I would like to (follow) the example of the IOC, to prevent what happened.''
Blatter wants the executive committee to review 10 or 12 bids, narrow the field to the best candidates and let FIFA's congress choose the winner.
The full congress includes 208 FIFA members - each representing a national association - who would all have one vote. Until now, World Cup hosts have been chosen by the 24-member executive committee.
