Blatter won the first round by 133 votes to 73 and, after Prince Ali decided to withdraw ahead of the second round, the 79-year-old was installed as FIFA president for another four years.

Mr Blatter thanked Prince Ali for standing down as a contender despite his ``very good result.''

He told the hall: “Thank you that you accepted me, that for the next four years I will be in command of this boat called Fifa, and we will bring it back, off shore, and back to the beach, we will bring it back, where finally football can be played, beach soccer can be played everywhere.”

He said there were organisational problems to solve at Fifa and changes to make in some competitions, but they would not touch the World Cup.

“I take the responsibility to bring back Fifa, we can do it, and I’m convinced we can do it.”

He received a standing ovation at the end of a speech which he finished with: “Let’s go Fifa! Let’s go Fifa!”

Meanwhile, asked why he had withdrawn from the presidential race, Prince Ali said there were 73 national associations who had been “really brave” and he said: “I did it for them. I don’t want them to be in any more trouble.”

He said he hoped Fifa will realise that “football is for the world” and said he looks forward to a “bright future"

The outcome of the first-round vote meant Prince Ali succeeded in preventing Blatter from winning a two-thirds majority, but the 39-year-old pulled out of the contest rather than force a second round of voting.

His supporters had been keen to get past the 70-vote mark as that would be seen to have delivered a bloody nose to Blatter.

The victory is also set to see further protests from UEFA – the first action has come from David Gill, the English Football Association vice-chairman who will reject the post of British vice-president as he does not want to serve under Blatter.

Gill will not attend the post-Congress executive committee meeting on Saturday where a decision is set to be taken on the allocation of World Cup places to each confederation.