GENEVA -- Michel Platini hopes he made a decisive move early in the seven-month campaign to become FIFA president.

Three months from the deadline to apply, Platini is already seizing on broad support from the leaders of soccer's six continental confederations.

Still, encouragement to run is not the same as guaranteed votes for the UEFA president and France great.

FIFA members elect the president, and those 209 national federations can ignore regional orders when they enter the secrecy of the voting booths on Feb. 26 in Zurich.

Here are some things to know about possible tactics, plots and alliances ahead:

 

FRONT-RUNNER

Platini, a former Sepp Blatter ally-turned-adversary, confirmed the obvious by publicly announcing he would seek a job for which he has long seemed the heir apparent.

If Blatter hadn't reneged on a 2011 promise to leave office this year, Platini likely would already be installed at FIFA's Zurich headquarters.

Everything changed on May 27 when a United States federal investigation of corruption in world soccer was unleashed on FIFA. Though Blatter won re-election two days later, it took only four more days before he decided to step down.

Platini, a FIFA insider after 13 years as executive committee member, has taken advantage of his access to soccer power brokers. At the Champions League final in Berlin and FIFA meetings in Zurich and St. Petersburg, Russia, he outlined his plans and gained their support.

Platini hopes to have a bedrock of support before other candidates can mount a challenge, but he also put a big target on his back long before election day.

ALLIANCES

FIFA election campaigning tends to focus on continental blocs of support, even if they don't necessarily hold firm.

Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan got pledges from all six FIFA confederations in his 133-73 loss to Blatter on May 29. FIFA rules require 140 votes for victory, though at least 115 should mean momentum to win.

Platini launched his campaign on Wednesday counting on support from leaders of the Asian Football Confederation (46 FIFA voting members) and CONMEBOL (10). Last Sunday, he briefed leaders of CONCACAF (35) at the Gold Cup final in Philadelphia.

Asia is home to likely rival candidates, and has been Platini's clear target to lobby, including the influential Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah of Kuwait.

Since Blatter's exit speech on June 2, Platini has met with Olympic powerbroker Sheikh Ahmad in Berlin, Lausanne, Zurich, and St. Petersburg.

An intriguing region is Africa, which has 54 votes. Soccer leaders there have long been publicly loyal to Blatter, so simply moving over to Platini would be quite a switch in principle.

Africa and 11-member Oceania could yet seek discreet guidance from Blatter, who is scheduled to stay in office and host the election congress.

BROAD APPEAL

Platini's long track record on and off the field lets voters easily find something they like about him.

As an all-time great player, winning top individual honours and titles with France and Juventus, Platini portrays himself as a football romantic who loves the game above all.

As chief organizer of the 1998 World Cup in France, and lead decision-maker in shaping the Champions League and European Championship, he knows how tournaments work.

To FIFA's old guard, he is part of the system: Platini was at Blatter's side from the start of his presidency in 1998, as a campaign manager then football adviser. Their rift deepened over Blatter's refusal to leave office rather than policy differences.

To FIFA modernizers, Platini is not accused of personal financial corruption, nor implicated in the U.S. federal case. The most recent criticism he's received was for voting for Qatar as 2022 World Cup host.

PLATINI POLICY

Does Platini have a big idea to enact as FIFA president -- or do FIFA voters even look for one? It's unclear many FIFA members want the reforms demanded by World Cup sponsors.

He must show he represents all of FIFA, and not just a rich European elite where clubs lure players from leagues worldwide.

Blatter has often goaded other regions to see UEFA as "arrogant and selfish," as Platini suggested in his UEFA acceptance speech in March.

"We know that we make mistakes, and are not necessarily any better than anyone else," Platini said then in Vienna.

Platini's plans should become clearer on Aug. 27 at his annual media briefing in Monaco at the Champions League draw. On Sept. 15-16, he will meet UEFA member federations in Malta.

One probable campaign duty is a televised debate with other candidates. British and Dutch broadcasters have had proposals refused in previous FIFA elections.

Platini won't relish arguing in English, though his mastery of the language is better than he acknowledges.

TOUGHEST OPPONENT

Today, Platini's most likely election opponents are two former FIFA vice-presidents from Asia.

Though Diego Maradona and Zico, plus Liberia soccer president Musa Bility, want to be election players, they must find five nominations from FIFA members.

South Korean politician Chung Mong-joon is using his comeback four years after being ousted from FIFA to criticize Platini. Prince Ali is fresh from a dignified defeat to Blatter, though stripped now of votes from Platini's Europe.

Platini's most difficult opponent is likely to be Sheikh Ahmad.

The 53-year-old Kuwaiti joined the FIFA executive committee only two months ago, and publicly said this election is too soon for him.

Still, as the Olympic kingmaker of recent years, he has impressive vote-gathering skills.

The Olympic-FIFA links run deep. Blatter, Sheikh Ahmad, and African leader Issa Hayatou have a combined 53 years as IOC members, and each for the past 14 years. If their efforts ever combined, Platini would truly be in a fight.