The U.S. Department of Justice has charged 14 people at the international body governing soccer — nine FIFA executives and five marketing officials — with “foster[ing] a culture of corruption and greed that created an uneven playing field for the biggest sport in the world,” which includes $150 million in bribes and kickbacks dating back to 1991.
Charges against the 14 range from wire fraud to racketeering to money laundering. Sports-marking executives from the U.S. and South America were also indicted.
“The defendants also include U.S. and South American sports marketing executives who are alleged to have systematically paid and agreed to pay well over $150 million in bribes and kickbacks to obtain lucrative media and marketing rights to international soccer tournaments,” the department said.
Six high-ranking FIFA officials were arrested Wednesday in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, including FIFA Vice President Jeffrey Webb. Those officials are now awaiting extradition to the United States.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter was not among those arrested. According to a FIFA spokesman, Blatter was not involved in any wrongdoing.
“The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States,” Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement. “It spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks. And it has profoundly harmed a multitude of victims, from the youth leagues and developing countries that should benefit from the revenue generated by the commercial rights these organizations hold, to the fans at home and throughout the world whose support for the game makes those rights valuable.”
“FIFA welcomes actions that can help contribute to rooting out any wrongdoing in football,” it said in a statement posted on its website.
FIFA, which stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association, is soccer’s global governing body.
Lynch and FBI Director James Comey are scheduled to hold a news conference at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday to discuss the charges.
