FIFA’s history of corruption, scandals and controversies

FIFA’s history of corruption, scandals and controversies FIFA’s recent announcement of plans to sell the commercial rights to its tournaments to private investors triggered an inevitable backlash. UEFA accused FIFA of ‘attempting to sell the soul of football’, while several other stakeholders have privately criticised the proposal. The governing body is reportedly liaising with United States bank JP Morgan and Thrive Capital, an investment company founded by Joshua Kushner. He is the brother of US president Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, which has sparked further questions about the proposed move. FIFA claims the new enterprise would enable it to increase the funding provided to each of its 211 member associations from $8 million to $20m annually. UEFA has been increasingly critical of FIFA president Gianni Infantino in recent months. They say that the ‘soul and governance of football are not assets to trade’. The proposal is the latest in a long line of controversies, scandals and corruption that have blighted FIFA’s governance of the sport. Commercialisation sparks kickback claims The growth of the global game towards the end of the 20th century brought significantly more revenue into FIFA’s coffers. More money from marketing and broadcast rights led to allegations of kickbacks and vote-trading to secure the hosting of a World Cup. President Joao Havelange was subsequently implicated in numerous fraud and bribery cases, casting a shadow over his tenure at FIFA. Sepp Blatter’s appointment in 1998 did nothing to change the perception that the people tasked with governing football are corrupt. The situation came to a head in 2015 when the US Department of Justice charged 14 defendants in a widespread racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering operation. Blatter eventually stepped down, and FIFA pledged reforms. Intriguingly, while other officials were convicted and jailed, he was eventually cleared of wrongdoing. Bidding scandals continue to leave a stain FIFA awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 edition to Qatar. Allegations of corruption tainted both tournaments. Later investigations revealed that six FIFA executive committee members had been suspended before the vote after being offered cash for votes. The bidding process for the 2030 tournament was scrapped three years ago after the nations vying to host it across three continents agreed to share it. FIFA quickly announced new rules for the 2034 bidding contest that made it impossible for another country to compete against Saudi Arabia. The governing body subsequently signed a hugely lucrative partnership with Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company, Aramco. Having promised reform, transparency and accountability when he was appointed, Infantino has not lived up to his promises. Messi given favourable treatment The expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup tournament was widely criticised for being an unnecessary addition to an already packed football calendar. Controversy over the competition ramped up when Infantino fast-tracked Inter Miami into the line-up after they finished top of the Major Soccer League (MLS) standings. His decision conveniently ignored the fact that the MLS title is decided by play-offs rather than which team tops the table at the end of the regular season. The move was designed to ensure that Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi could play in the World Cup. The eventual MLS champions, Los Angeles Galaxy, did not receive an invite. Miami progressed to the knockout stage of the competition before being demolished by eventual finalists Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16. Having set a precedent with his favourable treatment towards the former Barcelona star, Infantino has subsequently doubled down on his scandalous nonsense in recent months. Controversies abound at the 2026 World Cup Not content with giving Messi a cheap pass into the Club World Cup, Infantino decided that he couldn’t stomach Cristiano Ronaldo missing this summer’s World Cup. Ronaldo was dismissed in a qualifier against the Republic of Ireland last November, which should have meant he missed the early stages of the tournament. However, FIFA controversially ripped up its rulebook to partially suspend his ban, allowing him to line up for Portugal in North America. The award of a ‘FIFA peace prize’ to Trump was another low point for an organisation which seems hellbent on continually shooting itself in the foot. Exorbitant ticket prices, overturning Folarin Balogun’s red card, Iran’s shoddy treatment and the banning of a Somalian referee cast a further shadow over the tournament. FIFA’s inability to avoid corruption, scandals and controversy continues to be the most negative aspect of the global football ecosystem.