FIFA Officials Accepted 150 Million Dollars in Bribes Over 24 Years

The US Department of Justice indictment unveiled in 2015 exposed corruption spanning at least two generations of soccer officials who abused their positions of trust to acquire millions in illicit payments. The schemes involved bribes for tournament hosting rights, including the 2010 World Cup awarded to South Africa, as well as lucrative broadcasting and marketing rights for competitions across the Americas. Attorney General Loretta Lynch described the corruption as rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted both abroad and in the United States. The officials allegedly used their positions to solicit bribes over and over, year after year, tournament after tournament. US prosecutors sought forfeiture of more than $151 million that was illegally obtained through these schemes. The use of US banks to transfer money was key to the investigation, giving American authorities jurisdiction to prosecute the international corruption case.