Can Teflon-coated Sepp Blatter survive Fifa scandal?

Sepp Blatter is arguably the most powerful man in world sports and certainly its greatest survivor.

Now comes the biggest challenge of his 17-year rule of Fifa: dealing with the US and Swiss-led criminal investigations into corruption among soccer officials - including some who were sipping drinks with Blatter in the days before being arrested on Wednesday morning in Zurich.

Despite the corruption scandals that have scarred Fifa for years, the Teflon-coated Blatter has successfully held onto the presidency, his authority seemingly undiminished.

But the timing of this raid could not be worse for 79-year-old Swiss-born Blatter.

It came only two days before he goes up against Fifa vice-president Prince Ali of Jordan in the first contested election for the body's presidency since 2002.

Blatter hid from public view on Wednesday, cancelling planned meetings with regional confederations, while sending out a spokesman to defend him in front of the media on the darkest day in Fifa's 111-year history.

Media chief Walter de Gregorio seemed bemused by suggestions Blatter should be considering his position, only accepting that his leader's "stress factor is higher".