FIFA was hit by a major corruption scandal after arrests in Zurich in 2015.
The 2015 FIFA corruption case began when Swiss authorities arrested several football officials at a Zurich hotel at the request of U.S. prosecutors. The investigation alleged bribery, fraud, money laundering, and other offenses connected with the awarding and marketing of football tournaments and commercial rights.
The arrests took place just before FIFA’s presidential election and triggered an international crisis for the organization. FIFA president Sepp Blatter was later suspended and resigned amid the fallout. U.S. indictments named officials from FIFA and regional confederations, while Swiss investigations examined possible corruption related to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Not every allegation had the same legal outcome, and several defendants pleaded guilty or reached agreements. The scandal concerned football governance and commercial rights, not the sporting rules of a particular match.