Report: FIFA admits World Cup bribes, wants U.S. to give money back

The organization has admitted to some of the things everyone expected.

Everyone has assumed that the winning bids to host previous World Cups, especially the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, were rigged. On Wednesday FIFA confirmed it. According to the Associated Press, FIFA has acknowledged that World Cup votes were sold in the past. 

Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl says some of the same voters involved in bid bribery, such as Chuck Blazer, Jack Warner and Jeffery Webb, were involved with the bids for 2018 and 2022, the latter of which was expected to go to the United States. 

The report from the AP says that FIFA is aiming for restitution for more than $190 million forfeited by various individuals involved in the corruption case. FIFA says that money was seized by U.S. federal prosecutors as part of the FIFA scandal. 

From FIFA:

FIFA today submitted documents to the US authorities in an effort to reclaim tens of millions of dollars pocketed illegally by corrupt FIFA members and other football officials.

In its capacity as a “victimized institution”, FIFA has submitted a Request for Restitution to the US Attorney’s Office and the US Probation Office for the Eastern District of New York, claiming damages from 41 former FIFA officials and other football organisations, including Chuck Blazer, Jack Warner, Jeffrey Webb and others who have been indicted in the ongoing investigation by the US Department of Justice.

“The convicted defendants abused the positions of trust they held at FIFA and other international football organisations and caused serious and lasting damage to FIFA, its member associations and the football community. The monies they pocketed belonged to global football and were meant for the development and promotion of the game. FIFA as the world governing body of football wants that money back and we are determined to get it no matter how long it takes,” said new FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Not a total shocker that the bids were rigged under Sepp Blatter, as has long been suspected, and it's now a relief that it has been admitted to so we can move forward. But Wahl says FIFA won't re-do the bidding for the next two World Cups.
That seems like an unresolved issue. There's got to be some way to do it. Nothing would show that the organization is open to ethical practices more than re-doing these tainted votes. We all know how we would feel if they did.

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Sepp Blatter
The truth has come out. (Getty)

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