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By Bloomberg

As Luis Figo exited a hotel elevator on his way to breakfast, he was approached by a fan carrying a cardboard tube.

The man, who’d waited at least an hour for the one-time world’s best soccer player at the Bourbon hotel in Asuncion, Paraguay, produced a drawing of Figo before asking the 42-year- old to pose for pictures. If it was down to the adulation of soccer fans, Figo might be coasting to victory in his bid to unseat Sepp Blatter as president of the sport’s governing body FIFA. He knows it isn’t.

“It’s a pity,” Figo said with a laugh, reflecting on the support a man who represented both Real Madrid and Barcelona in 20-year success-filled playing career could expect if fans had a say in the May 29 election. Instead, Figo and his rivals -- Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, Dutch soccer head Michael van Praag and Blatter -- have a constituency of 209 federation leaders to woo.

“I don’t want to be seen just as a former player,” Figo said in during an interview in which he switched between English and his native Portuguese. “It would be difficult for people to vote for a person only because they were a former player. It’s not what I want them to think.”

Since his playing days ended in 2009, Figo served on a committee advising European soccer body UEFA, whose president Michel Platini is one of Blatter’s biggest critics. He’s also worked with Inter Milan, his last professional club.

Messages of support have come from former teammates including Patrick Vieira and David Beckham.

“Any successful organization needs to have good people who are passionate about the game and want to do the best for fans,” Beckham said in a statement Feb. 17.

FIFA Reputation

Figo, like van Praag and Ali, says he wants to restore the organization’s reputation that’s been battered by corruption scandals during Blatter’s 17-year tenure.

“If there isn’t a change in leadership everything will remain the same,” said Figo, who recalled watching protesters target FIFA and Blatter during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. “It’s the major event in sport and it should be an honor to organize the World Cup.”

On a recent trip to Paraguay to meet with South American soccer leaders, Figo’s fame was evident. Passengers at Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos airport took pictures on their phones as Figo bumped into his old national team coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. Even Alejandro Balbi, general secretary of the sport in Uruguay, snapped photos with the 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year.

Still, the chiefs didn’t promise him their votes. South American officials will meet on May 12 to decide which candidate the 10-member group known as Conmebol will back.

Blatter has built strong alliances over four decades. The heads of the confederations representing Africa, Asia and Oceania have already publicly backed the 79-year-old. Blatter is a 1-16 favorite to retain the job. That means a successful $16 bet at bookmaker William Hill would return $1 and the original stake. Figo has 12-1 odds.

“There was a rumor saying Conmebol supports Blatter,” Figo said. “That’s not true. I can say the same ‘Conmebol supports Figo’ and then in the end on the 29th it’s not true.”

Bigger Tournament

All three of Blatter’s opponents have offered inducements like increasing the size of the World Cup from 32 teams and promising more cash to national associations from FIFA’s funds.

Similarities in the campaigns may be because Prince Ali and Figo have used the same U.K.-based public relations company, Vero Communications. Figo’s election team said Vero hasn’t worked for his candidacy since arranging his campaign launch in February. Vero also advises UEFA and its chairman Mike Lee was once director of communications there.

Figo wants to give away the most cash, handing $1 billion from FIFA’s reserves to its members. He’s also said half the $5 billion generated through the quadrennial World Cup would go to national associations. To sweeten his offer, Figo said the tournament could be increased to as many as 48 teams and played on more than one continent simultaneously.

Money has been the downfall of several soccer executives, most recently in Nepal where the association president is being investigated for misconduct. Figo rejects the suggestion that giving them more would lead to even greater scandal.

“We’re going to have all the control of the bodies,” he said, saying audit and compliance would be handled by an independent official, a structure that already exists in FIFA.

If Blatter wins he could occupy the top job for more than 20 years. His predecessor and mentor Joao Havelange lasted 24 years before he called it a day. Van Praag and Ali have both pledged to lead a restructure and quit after one term. Figo proposes a maximum of 12 years.

“That’s more than sufficient,” he said.