PANAMA CITY: Seven soccer federations from Central America are declaring their support for UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino’s bid to become FIFA president.

Following a meeting Monday in Panama, leaders for the countries said they would support the 45-year-old Swiss in his bid to succeed the recently ousted Sepp Blatter.

Infantino can count on a big majority of the 53 European federations with FIFA votes to support him, having served as their top administrator since 2009.

The other candidates to succeed Blatter in the February 26 election in Zurich are: former FIFA vice-president Prince Ali of Jordan; Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman of Bahrain; former FIFA official Jerome Champagne; and South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale.