Sepp Blatter, Switzerland (age 73)

Mercurial, controversial ... but the Fifa president has the ultimate power over England’s bid to stage the 2018 World Cup.

Possible vote: unknown

Michel Platini, France (54)

Uefa president and regular critic of Barclays Premier League’s riches. Knows the premium value of a World Cup in England, though, and might give his blessing.

Possible vote: England

Julio Humberto Grondona, Argentina (78)

South American football grandee, 30 years as president of the Argentine association, Blatter’s senior vice-president.

Possible vote: Spain and Portugal

Reynald Temarii, Tahiti (42)

President of Oceania Football Confederation. The vote of the new Fifa vice-president could be up for grabs.

Possible vote: Australia or England

Chung Mong Joon, South Korea (58)

Businessman and politician. Fifa vice-president keen on football philanthropy, so might be impressed by the FA’s global charity work.

Possible vote: England

Geoff Thompson, England (64)

Former FA chairman, now a 2018 bid board member and a Fifa vice-president. A canny politician behind the closed doors of football’s ruling elite.

Possible vote: England

Issa Hayatou, Cameroon (63)

Nineteen-year term on Fifa executive and key official in African football circles. Will want FA to keep pushing its programme of football aid in Africa.

Possible vote: England

Michel D’Hooghe, Belgium (63)

President of Club Bruges, he could be swayed if the bid from Belgium-Netherlands drops out in the first round.

Possible vote: Belgium and the Netherlands

Jack Warner, Trinidad & Tobago (66)

Infamous Fifa vice-president and powerful president of Concacaf angered by bad publicity in England.

Possible vote: anyone but England

Ricardo Terra Teixeira, Brazil (62)

The president of the Brazilian confederation is likely to want Portugal to inherit from Brazil four years on.

Possible vote: Spain and Portugal

Ángel María Villar Llona, Spain (59)

President of the Spanish FA, so has his mind made up. If that bid fails at first hurdle, might favour England.

Possible vote: Spain and Portugal

Mohamed bin Hammam, Qatar (60)

Powerful voice, leading growth of Asian football. England on alert that he will be looking for support for Qatar for 2022.

Possible vote: England

Senes Erzik, Turkey (age 67)

Honorary president of the Turkish FA, with fond memories of Euro ’96 in England. One for England to convince.

Possible vote: unknown

Marios Lefkaritis, Cyprus (62)

Business entrepeneur and honorary president of Cypriot FA with a passion for football. No allegiances, so ready to be persuaded by bid candidates.

Possible vote: unknown

Chuck Blazer, United States (64)

General secretary of Concacaf, of which Jack Warner is president, so will need wooing away from Warner’s anti-England position.

Possible vote: US

Jacques Anouma, Ivory Coast (57)

President of Ivorian FA who could bring an open mind to voting. Could go with an African bloc vote, though, which might favour England.

Possible vote: England

Worawi Makudi, Thailand (57)

Has served 12 years on Fifa executive and, as general secretary of Thai FA, could be swayed towards Japan’s case to support his region.

Possible vote: Japan

Franz Beckenbauer, Germany (64)

Football’s so-called “Kaiser”, Germany’s World Cup hero and statesman. Known to be a strong supporter of a World Cup in England.

Possible vote: England

Nicolás Léoz, Paraguay (81)

Oldest member of the executive and long-serving figure in Central American football. Likely to join the Hispanic bloc in plumping for the Spain-Portugal bid.

Possible vote: Spain-Portugal

Rafael Salguero, Guatemala (62)

Another Concacaf member who could be influenced by Warner, but is more likely to be part of the Hispanic bloc vote.

Possible vote: Spain-Portugal

Junji Ogura, Japan (71)

With Japan likely to drop out of the running early, England will hope to cash in on his love of Sir Bobby Charlton and Manchester United.

Possible vote: Japan

Hany Abou Rida, Egypt (56)

Businessman and member of the African federation and Egyptian FA. Not known to support any bid, but could be sympathetic to England.

Possible vote: unknown

Amos Adamu, Nigeria (56)

Former teacher and sports administrator, now Nigeria’s director of sports development, so will be well acquainted with FA’s overseas footballing missions.

Possible vote: England

Vitaliy Mutko, Russia (50)

First president of the Russian Premier League, now the country’s Minister for Sport. Big hitter in Russian football, also behind the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.

Possible vote: Russia