President Barack Obama weighed in on the deepening corruption scandal involving world soccer's governing body, saying it was essential that the sport's integrity be ensured.
Of the 14 people indicted by the United States in the FIFA corruption case, five members are businessmen that worked for various sports marketing and consulting companies that dealt extensively with the world's football organization.
Head of FIFA’s audit and compliance committee says World Cup hosts could change as a result of ongoing investigation. Domenico Scala says if any evidence of wrongdoing is found by the ongoing criminal investigations into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, the rights to host the tournament could be stripped.
The latest revelations of allegations of irregular payments by FIFA have brought Ireland, South Africa and Venezuela under the spotlight. In effect a FIFA official has admitted Ireland received 5 million dollars in compensation for missing out on a place at the 2010 World Cup after a handball by player Thierry Henry gave France victory and a place in South Africa.
Former FIFA executive committee member Chuck Blazer told a U.S. federal judge that he and others on the governing body's ruling panel agreed to receive bribes in the votes for the hosts of the 1998 and 2010 World Cups.
Sepp Blatter, who four days ago was re-elected for a fifth four-year term as president of FIFA, the world football's governing body announced on Tuesday in Zurich that he would resign his position and lay down his mandate at an extraordinary elective congress to be held later in the year.
The ongoing FIFA scandal has prompted FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke to skip the opening news conference of the Women’s World Cup. As of Sunday evening, Valcke had been slated to attend Thursday’s event in Vancouver along with Canadian and other officials. But that changed Monday afternoon.
South Africa did pay 10m dollars to a football body led by Jack Warner, a figure at the centre of FIFA corruption allegations, local media say. Danny Jordaan, head of South Africa's FA, is quoted as confirming that the amount was deducted from a FIFA payment to the country in 2008.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter is the victim of a conspiracy from behind the scenes, daughter Corinne Blatter told the BBC amid the corruption crisis gripping world football. Her comments come as key FIFA officials face a string of bribery charges. Blatter, who has been re-elected as Fifa president, has not been implicated but faces calls to stand down.
Good news for South America: FIFA will not make any changes to the allocation of World Cup slots among the six continents for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments in Russia and Qatar, president Sepp Blatter said during the first meeting of the new Executive Committee in Zurich.