The former Matilda and leading global advocate for the women’s game was beaten in a ballot 27 to 17 by Bangladeshi, Mahfuza Ahkter, at the Asian Football Confederation Congress on Monday.

Dodd was a co-opted member of FIFA’s old executive committee and Australia’s most powerful voice on the governing body. Two other candidates for the protected seat for Asian women withdrew before the vote.

The 52-year-old was contesting a spot on the rebranded FIFA Council.

Prior to the ballot Dodd spoke about lingering corruption scandals infecting the sport’s global governance.

“We have to accept that it’s a work in progress to bring football to the level of integrity that we want it to be, and while we continue to have these controversies, our reputation will suffer,” Dodd told the Associated Press.

”The view of football from the fans, the stakeholders, the sponsors etc. will also suffer.”

On the subject of women’s football, she added: “I think we’ve seen how important it is for there to be a diversity of voices at the top table of FIFA.

“When I joined, there had only been one (woman on the executive committee), there were then three and two of us couldn’t vote and I’d think when you look back you’d have to say that we did make a difference.

“Our voices were heard, it was part of a change in culture in FIFA and you saw in the reforms (that) women in football was a key tenet of the reforms and it’s a key priority of FIFA going forward.”