Born on May 8, 1916, Havelange was a keen sportsman who competed in the Olympics as a swimmer in 1936 in Berlin and as a water polo player in 1952 in Helsinki.
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The Samaritano hospital, while refusing to comment on the exact cause of death, put out a statement expressing its “sympathy for his family and friends”.
Havelange who was predecessor to Sepp Blatter at world football’s governing body, served from 1974 to 1998.
He resigned in disgrace as honorary president in 2013.
In 2012, a report found that Havelange and his son-in-law had received a total of over 41 million USA dollars in bribes linked to the distribution of World Cup marketing rights.
How much exactly Havelange and then-son-in-law Ricardo Teixeira took is not known, but ISL records showed payments to accounts to the two Brazilians totaled nearly $22 million in nine years (1992-2000) and they paid back $6.1 million in a confidential settlement.
Two years earlier he had quit as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), a post he had held since 1963. After retiring from professional sports, apart from being FIFA president, he was the head of Brazil’s swimming federation and later became a member of Brazil’s Olympic Committee.
Havelange was hospitalized in 2012 for an ankle infection and again in 2014 and 2015 due to respiratory problems for a lung infection before being struck with pneumonia last month.
The Brazilian built his powerbase by expanding FIFA’s membership in the developing world, and enlarging the World Cup, turning it into a competition that generates more than $US5 billion per tournament.
The Brazilian was replaced by his general secretary Sepp Blatter as President, with his 24-years in office the second longest spell in charge of the organisation, behind Jules Rimet.
South African President Nelson Mandela speaks next to FIFA President Joao Havelange (L) in South Africa January 12, 1996.
The introduction of the FIFA Confederations Cup, and the Under-17, Under-20 and the women’s World Cups also came under his watch.
Following his resignation, Havelange was investigated over bribery allegations.
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The athletics stadium in Rio was named in his honour.
