RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP) — Legendary former FIFA President Joao Havelange has been hospitalised for a non-serious facial infection a hospital spokeswoman told AFP yesterday.

The 94-year-old, who is now FIFA Honorary President having led football’s world governing body from 1974 to 1998, was taken to hospital last Wednesday but the hospital spokeswoman said that he was likely to be released in the next few days.

“Havelange was hospitalised last Wednesday with a facial infection which required treatment with antibiotics,” said the spokeswoman.

“It is nothing too serious and Havelange should leave hospital in two to three days.”

Havelange, who competed at two Olympic Games in 1936 in Berlin as a swimmer and then in the 1952 edition in Helsinki as a member of the water polo team, is credited with turning football in modernising the sport into the moneymaking industry it is today.

He was also instrumental in bringing the 2016 Olympics to Rio de Janeiro and to South America for the first time when the International Olympic Committee elected the city as the host last year in Copenhagen.

He joked during the final presentation, where he pitted his wits against the IOC’s former strongman president the now late Juan Antonio Samaranch who spoke on behalf of the Madrid bid, that were Rio to win the right to host the Games he would be celebrating his 100th birthday that year and everyone would be invited.