Russia and Qatar offered and paid bribes to secure votes in the process that saw them awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, an indictment in the United States alleges. The document, brought by federal prosecutors in New York as part of the long-running investigation into corruption surrounding football's governing body, claims several former members of FIFA's executive committee were offered or indeed received bribes relating to their votes.
Sixteen more top football officials were charged in a dramatic widening of the FIFA corruption scandal on Thursday, as US prosecutors vowed to leave no stone unturned in their quest to root out graft. Several senior FIFA officials from the past or present were named in a 92-count US Justice Department indictment which came after a series of dawn raids at a luxury hotel in Zurich hosting FIFA officials.
The grand-daughter of former FIFA president Joao Havelange has stepped into the war of words over Brazil's World Cup preparations unabashedly telling protestors angry at the tournament's massive budget to get over it because some money had already been “spent” or “stolen” or “robbed.”
Uruguay’s Eugenio Figueredo was officially appointed president of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) in succession to Nicolas Leoz on Tuesday. He is the third Uruguayan to occupy the post.
The lead prosecutor of FIFA new ethics committee confirms he will examine the controversial awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar as well as the ISL scandal and corruption allegations involving Sepp Blatter.