After taking down allegedly corrupt FIFA officials, the FBI is now set to investigate how soccer’s governing body picked Russia and Qatar to host the World Cup in 2018 and 2022, respectively.
The expanded investigation comes after the Justice Department indicted several FIFA officials on corruption charges last week. After leading FIFA for 17 years, President Sepp Blatter stepped down Tuesday amid the scandal.
According to an anonymous U.S. law enforcement official, the new probe will look into how Russia and Qatar secured the winning bids to host the big tournament during the selection process. Both nations have denied any wrongdoing.
“It is very difficult for some to digest that an Arab Islamic country has this tournament, as if this right can’t be for an Arab state,” Qatar’s Foreign Minister Khaled al-Attiyah told Reuters in an interview in Paris. “I believe it is because of prejudice and racism that we have this bashing campaign against Qatar.”
Human rights groups expressed extreme displeasure over Qatar’s bid, specifically over the deaths of a number of migrant workers used by the country to prepare for the tournament.
Russia indicated it was not concerned that it may lose the right to host the World Cup. “Cooperation with FIFA is going on and, most importantly, Russia is continuing preparations for the 2018 World Cup,” President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said.
Swiss authorities are also conducting their own investigation into FIFA.
