Michel Platini, the head of European soccer"s governing body UEFA, is to announce in the next few days that he will stand for the presidency of FIFA, a source close to the former France international told Reuters on Tuesday.

The 60-year-old Platini, a former France and Juventus midfielder, has been UEFA president since 2007 and had been widely expected to throw his hat into the ring to succeed Sepp Blatter, who announced his plan to stand down two months ago.

Platini’s impending announcement, expected before the end of the week, is likely to prompt other contenders to confirm their plans to stand.

Platini has long been the bookmakers" favorite to succeed Blatter and last week his supporters indicated that he has picked up widespread support from leaders of the continental confederations.

A former protege of Blatter’s, Platini turned into one of his biggest critics and he has said FIFA"s corruption scandal "disgusted" him and gave him "stomach trouble".

But the Frenchman"s own critics will focus on his support for the 2022 World Cup to be held in Qatar.

The deadline for candidates to formally present their nominations, with support, is Oct. 26 and they will also have to undergo integrity checks, led by Domenico Scala, head of the ad-hoc election committee.