FIFA awarded $201m in confiscated funds by the US after corruption probe

08/25/2021

World football's governing body, FIFA will receive an amount of $201 million from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) after a global corruption probe was conducted. More than 50 corrupt football administrators, who were found to be guilty, have been convicted with criminal charges.

The DOJ, on Tuesday, announced that it will transfer funds of $201m to FIFA. The funds were confiscated from corrupt football officials after the Department of Justice conducted a global corruption probe.

More than 50 defendants have been criminally charged by the DOJ as 27 people and four corporate entities pleaded guilty to the charges, with two further parties convicted after the trial. The DOJ also announced that $32.3 million of the seized funds have been approved for distribution to FIFA and various other constituent national football federations. Federations such as the Concacaf, the confederation responsible for football in North and Central America and the Conmebol, which represents football in South America, are due to receive payments.

“Today’s announcement confirms that money stolen by corrupt soccer officials and sports marketing executives through fraud and greed will be returned to where it belongs and used to benefit the sport,” said acting US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Jacquelyn M Kasulis, in a statement, reported the Guardian.

Assistant director-in-charge of the FBI’s New York field office, Michael J Driscoll, added that none of the accused showed any remorse about the damage that they inflicted on the sport of football.

“Kickbacks and bribes have a way of spreading like a disease through corrupt groups; pure and simple greed keeps the graft going,” Michael J Driscoll said.

Not one official in this investigation seemed to care about the damage being done to a sport that millions around the world revere. The only silver lining is the money will now help underprivileged people who need it, not the wealthy executives who just wanted it to get richer”.

“Our work isn’t finished, and our promise to those who love the game – we won’t give up until everyone sees justice for what they’ve done.”