Michel Platini said Thursday that he was ending his bid to become FIFA president, dropping out of a race that technically did not include him and one that he is officially barred from winning.<br />Mr. Platini's announcement and CAS's recent rejection of appeals by two other disqualified candidates mean the field of approved challengers bidding to replace Mr. Blatter remains at five .<br />They are: Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, who lost a challenge to Mr. Blatter at the FIFA congress last May; Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa of Bahrain, the powerful Asian Football Confederation president; the South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale; Jérôme Champagne, a former aide to Mr. Blatter; and the longtime European soccer official Gianni Infantino.
