Calling FIFA a "dictatorship" under Sepp Blatter, presidential candidate Luis Figo dropped out of the election race on Thursday.

The Portugal great and former FIFA world player of the year said in a statement sent to Associated Press that he refuses to go along with an election process that is designed "for the delivery of absolute power to one man" - indicating Blatter, the current FIFA president.

Figo's announcement came hours after another candidate, Dutch soccer federation president Michael van Praag, also withdrew from the May 29 vote by 209 FIFA member federations.