By RYAN TOLMICH
FIFA has been under the watchful eye of the FBI in recent weeks, and it now appears that the law enforcement agency has taken in interest in the awarding of the next two World Cups.
Reuters reported Wednesday that the FBI’s investigation is including a look into how Russia and Qatar were awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively. According to an anonymous U.S. law enforcement official, a review of the two processes is part of an investigation following last week’s indictments that saw 14 arrested.
In addition, Swiss prosecutors are also reportedly investigating the bidding processes.
The news comes shortly after English FA chairman Greg Dyke said that the U.S. could be awarded the 2022 World Cup bid in the aftermath of the investigations.
FIFA is currently in a state of turmoil following last week’s indictments, with president Sepp Blatter surprisingly stepping down on Tuesday amid a reported FBI investigation.
What do you expect the investigation to reveal in the coming weeks? What do you think will become of the upcoming World Cups?
Share your thoughts below.
Few may care about this angle, but if the U.S. Gain a WC hosting out of this I think it would be to the detriment of these investigations. Many folks will look at this as the endgame, rather than reforming FIFA.
Give 2018 to England and 2022 to Australia.
Grow some balls. Putin only attacks the defenseless.
As long as there’s not a winter World Cup in Qatar, I don’t care where they move it.
Qatar as a summer WC is terrible, but a Winter WC is worse. Not temperature wise, as the winter there is clearly cooler, but everyone would have to suffer to accommodate that bait-and switch.
I serious can’t believe that UEFA will allow their schedule for UCL/Europa Cup to be manipulated by this fraud. I can’t imagine that the EPL, Bundeslega, Serie A, etc. are happy about their season’s getting disrupted.
FBi should investigate Wall Street!! Not FIFA!!
Of course it includes the World Cups. This whole thing wouldn’t have happened if we had won 2022. This is not about corruption of an international sports organization, It’s abut protecting American interests. Nothing more.
Where is your proof for this? Or is this just a conspiracy theory? Go read the indictment. There was plenty of tax fraud going on to warrant an investigation into FIFA. Too bad Warner and his cronies were too dumb to funnel their money through banks in some other country, otherwise your theory might hold water.
There’s no evidence – Rob likes to badmouth America because he thinks it makes him look smart. He’s wrong.
I may be way too paranoid when I say this but I do not want to be awarded the WC in ’18 or ’22. Radicals hold grudges and never forget. There are probably a certain amount of people / nations out there already pissed off because they are about to be exposed and feel like the US trying to “steal” the WC back to the US. Hell, Putin has pointed a finger at the US accusing our country of having sour grapes about losing out to Russia. I fear the wound would be too fresh to host the ’18 or ’22 WC. I don’t want some clowns to trying to pull off some terrorist act during the WC. I fear that. I really do. Like I said, I may be way too paranoid.
Paranoia quickly turns to fear as reality beckons. I shae your paranoia, under the circumstances, I do not think the U.S. should seek either 2018 or 2022 if either or both rebid.
Legit concern.
don’t let the terrorists win
We’ll be fine, let’s bring this thing here ASAP.
Absolutely. The rotation policy should be reinstituted using 2002 as the anchor year. After you combine Oceania and Asia, every confederation would get the cup every 20 years – more than fair. 2018 is CONCACAFs year. Russia should be stripped, CONCACAF bids entertained in lieu, and Russia can take their sour grapes and rebid against England for 2026.
We pulled out 18 and ran for 22. We lost to Qatar not Russia..
We, The USSF, were encouraged to pull out of the ’18 bid and in “return” we would get favorable votes for 2022. Then FIFA pulled the ol’ switcheroo and had both votes for ’18 and ’22 at the same Congress and little did we know then “the the fix was in” We probably thought, with our courtesy of retracting in ’18 and the fact that Qatar (“who???’) was our chief rival, it (our bid) was in the bag. Ha!! Warner betrayed Concacaf, the US, while he (we will find out soon) probablt had a hand in brokering the deal that got Qatar the WC.
But, now with FIFA dangling in the wind, Blatter on the way out, and Warner, Webb et al. looking at more than a few years in the hoosegow, we can only repeat the old adage.
“Revenge is a dish best served cold”
I agree, if for slightly different reasons. I think we should avoid even the perception that the FBI got involved just to get the US a World Cup. If the 2022 WC has to be moved, send it to Australia.
Agree 100%… Australia can host tomorrow… The US would look shady if we got the cup after raising a legal stink even if our intentions were pure.
Why worry? This investigation wasn’t brought on by the USSF. It was brought on by the USDOJ. I highly doubt anyone involved in US Soccer demanded these investigations go down.
Absolutely true, but this is about optics. The majority of the people in the world doesn’t know how the US system works. They will put two and two together and figure the US bullied it’s way to hosting a World Cup.
I was on the LAOOC and went on a “peace mission” to Moscow to try and entice them (the then Soviets) back the the ’84 games after the ’80 boycott. We were not to make any promises (and/or bribes, lol) in keeping with the spirit of the LA 84 Charter. We were just there to see if there was anything to be done.
The Soviets were very hurt by the boycott (which if any of you remember was prompted by the invasion of Afghanistan.( I kid you not!) but they did listen and for a while it was thought they would come around. They didn’t, but there was very little rancor. They almost had to boycott otherwise they would see the West hold one of the more successful Olympics ever. We had a plan B which was a pretty good plan: we let in to the Games a whole slew of “new” Olympians from third world countries that had not a ghost of a chance of competing for a medal, but it brought in a whole new Olympic idea. So we had gymnasts from Africa, cyclists from small countries, etc, etc. It did help heal, and healed in time for the 88 Games in Korea.
Even with the radicalization of the Mideast, the wars in Georgia, Ukraine, Syria and Iraq, the same ol, same ol., the dream of setting aside political differences for a cause greater: i.e.,Sports and Peace, was still triumphant in the 80’s.
We could lean a lot from that turn of event to this one.
Yes, we need to root out corruption and yes punish those who are part, and if Russia has played a part, they should be stripped of the right to hold the WC. If its either invading a country or bribing officials, the piper will be paid. And if once is not enough for Russia, twice inside of 50 years should get the message through.
And i seriously doubt there will be much retribution if we were to strip the WC from Russia or even boycott it.
Wonderful comment. Thanks!
Play your game without fear! To hell with the bad guys as they are inherently weak.
IF there were bribes for South Africa, then there were bribes for these two also.
Any guesses as to how many others? I am going with a guess of ALL.
And the next story on SBI starts to detail other 1998, any more?
YES, yes there will be.
So NOW, we are going to move the World Cup to the US, after a US citizen took the bribes that are “causing” the move?