João Havelange

Also known as Jean-Marie Faustin Goedefroid Havelange

Brazilian businessman and athlete (1916–2016)

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João Havelange was a Brazilian businessman and athlete who lived from 1916 to 2016 and became one of the most influential figures in international sports. He is significant because he served as president of FIFA (soccer's world governing body) for 24 years, during which time he transformed it into a global powerhouse and oversaw major expansions of the World Cup tournament.

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Jean-Marie Faustin Godefroid "João" de Havelange ( Brazilian Portuguese: [ʒuˈɐ̃w aviˈlɐ̃ʒi], French: [ʒɑ̃ maʁi fostɛ̃ ɡɔdfʁwa də avlɑ̃ʒ]; 8 May 1916 – 16 August 2016) was a Brazilian lawyer, businessman, and athlete who was the seventh president of FIFA from 1974 to 1998. His tenure as president is the second longest in FIFA's history, behind that of Jules Rimet. He received the title of honorary president when leaving office, but resigned in April 2013. He was preceded by Stanley Rous and succeeded by Sepp Blatter. Havelange served as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 1963 to 2011. He was the longest-serving active member upon his resignation. In July 2012, a Swiss prosecutor's report revealed that, during his tenure on FIFA's Executive Committee, he and his son-in-law Ricardo Teixeira took more than 41 million Swiss francs (£21m) in bribes in connection with the award of World Cup marketing rights.

Early life, professional and Olympic career