Confederation of African Football president Issa Hayatou will lead FIFA in the absence of provisionally suspended president Sepp Blatter but will not stand to be his permanent successor.
On Thursday, FIFA's Ethics Committee provisionally banned Blatter, Michel Platini and Jerome Valcke for 90 days in the wake of a Swiss criminal investigation.
Blatter and UEFA president Platini will now not be involved in any football activity for the next three months while investigations continue. The 90-day suspension can also be extended by a further 45 days.
During the Swiss' absence, Hayatou, 69, will serve as acting president due to him being the longest-serving vice president on its Executive Committee -- he will not, however, stand for the permanent post in February's election.
The UEFA executive committee issued a statement supporting Platini in a move that defied FIFA as European football's governing body said on Thursday it would not invoke statues requiring its highest-ranking vice president, Angel Maria Villar, to be appointed acting president.
UEFA said "this is because the UEFA executive committee is aware that the UEFA president will immediately take all necessary steps to appeal the decision of the FIFA ethics committee to clear his name.''
The UEFA statement stressed that the executive committee "expressed its full confidence" in Platini and will meet next Thursday in Nyon. All 54 UEFA member associations will meet at UEFA headquarters on the same day.
A FIFA statement from Hayatou read: "Today, amid extraordinary circumstances, I have assumed the office of FIFA President pursuant to Article 32 (6) of the FIFA Statutes.
"I will serve only on an interim basis. A new President will be chosen by the Extraordinary Congress on 26 February 2016. I myself will not be a candidate for that position.
"Until the Extraordinary Congress, I pledge that I will dedicate my best efforts to the organization, the member associations, our employees, our valued partners, and football fans everywhere.
"FIFA remains committed to the reform process, which is critical to reclaiming public trust. We will also continue to cooperate fully with authorities and follow the internal investigation wherever it leads.
"Football has never enjoyed greater support throughout the world, and that is something everyone associated with FIFA should be proud of."
Hayatou, who has been at the helm of African football for 27 years, was reprimanded in 2011 by the International Olympic Committee in a FIFA kickbacks scandal.
The Cameroonian, who has a serious kidney illness that requires regular dialysis sessions, is currently in Yaounde and is expected to travel to Zurich immediately.
Meanwhile, Britain's FIFA vice-president David Gill has called for an emergency meeting of the world governing body's executive committee following the suspension of Blatter.
A statement from the English FA said "there will be a meeting of the 54 UEFA nations as soon as next week."
Information from the Associated Press and Press Association was used in this report