The Indictments

money laundry. Later that day, America's top law enforcement official, Attorney General Lauretta Lynch, who had only been on the job for a month, confirmed what so many soccer fans had long suspected about FIFA. Many of the individuals and organizations we will describe today were entrusted with keeping soccer open and accessible to all. They held important responsibilities at every level, from building soccer fields for children and developing

countries to Oregon rising the World Cup. Lynch said the corruption within FIFA was rampant and systemic. They were expected to uphold the rules that keeps soccer honest and to protect the integrity of the game. Instead, they corrupted the business of worldwide soccer to serve their interests and to enrich themselves. I'm Connor Powell. This is episode three the indictments.

The massive one hundred and sixty four page indictment, which when printed out, was as thick as the legal books behind Lynch at the press conference, describe the global soccer business in language normally reserved for drug cartels and mafia organizations. This is an investigation that, according to the Justice Department, spans a couple of decades, and according to them, FIFA was being run as a criminal enterprise. So that's not

something you usually hear about world soccer. According to the bi charged fourteen people, nine current and former FIFA officials, and five other sports marketing executives. In all, the Department of Justice handed down forty seven separate criminal counts. The indictment alleges a pattern of fraud, bribery, and kickbacks that netted international soccer officials and marketing executives fifty million dollars

over the last twenty four years. Like their criminal cousins and organized crime, FIFA officials used a long list of methods to hide their illegal activities. And move money. They created shell companies, forged fake business contracts, and paid bribes with envelopes stuffed full of cash. Here's the FBI director James Comey. The day the indictments dropped, the game, according

to the allegations in this indictment, was hijacked. That field that is so famously flat was made tilted in favor of those who are looking to gain at the expense of countries and kids who were enjoying the game of soccer. Among the indicted was the face of the new and I'm doing air quotes here Corruption Free FIFA Vice President Jeffrey Webb. A loyal FIFA man to the end, Webb was among the soccer executive scene, rolling his suitcase emblazoned with a FIFA logo through the Borlack Hotel as he

was taken out by police. Webb was accused of soliciting and accepting at least six million dollars worth of bribes. He won't be surprised to hear his predecessor, Jack Warner was also indicted. Former President Warner accused of being especially greedy, as he alone is alleged to have taken more than ten million dollars in bribes over a nineteen year period and amassed a personal fortune from his ill gotten gains.

Warner proudly and loudly declared himself an innocent man, and after turning him off into authorities in Trinidad, he left jail in an ambulance, claiming get this exhaustion. Hours after he was released from jail, the former fee for executant politician was defiant because he addressed a rally dressed in a brightly colored, obnoxious lime green shirt and baseball cap. The then seventy two year old Warner compared his few hours in jail to Nelson Mandela's twenty seven years in prison.

It was even for him, nuts ever, the hustler. He then gathered with his political supporters in dance to Bob Marley's Three Little Birds with that well known refrain. The scene was, as comedian John Oliver accurately pointed out, Bana's that is cocky as songs go. That's a little on the nose. I guess we're just lucky that he didn't go, We've got your money by old dirty bastard. Which, come to think about all three was that described Jack Warner perfectly,

but Warner's clowning wasn't over. A few days later, he recorded an eight minute video for social media where he claimed, the American indictments against FIFA and himself we're all part of a grand conspiracy motivated by get this logic, a US desire to host a World Cup tournament that very year, that very month, that very night. As proof of his theory, Warner held up an article that stated, FIFA frantically announces two thousand fifteen Summer World Cup in United States. IFFA

so bad? Why is it the US? It wants to keep? The only problem that article Warner defiantly waived was from the satirical news website The Onion. The claim that the matches of the hastily organized World Cup would start that very day probably should have been an obvious clue that it was a fake article home, But does Warner strike you as a you know, read to the end of

the article type of guy? Me neither. His bizarre antics received a good deal of attention and helped distract from the long list of v I P soccer officials who got indicted but who were far less entertaining. Seven other officials or former officials from FIFA's body in North and South America are charged. Executives from three sports marketing companies are also accused of paying bribes and contracts for major tournaments. As you heard, Lynch indicted nine former and current FIFA officials.

It's a long list that ranges from FIFA board members like eduard O Lee from Costa Rica to former Commonbeat president Nicholas Leo's of Paraguay, and of course it included Warner and Webb. But what about Chuck Blazer. He had already played guilty to ten counts of racketeering, money laundering, and wire fraud when he flipped. Oh, when the Feds had already he charged Jack Warner's two sons, Darryl and

Darren Warner in two thousand thirteen. The Warner boys were working as go between for their father and we're nailed while visiting Miami for wire fraud in connection to selling World Cup tickets. So everything really wasn't going to be all right for Warner. Speaking of Miami, Jose Avila, the godfather of Brazilian soccer, did like Blazer and played guilty. Avila admitted to four counts of racketeering, wire fraud, and obstruction of justice. He agreed to forfeit a staggering one

hundred and fifty one million dollars in illegal profits. The indictments were, as the I R. S Is Richard Webber described, unprecedented. This really is the World Cup of fraud, and today we're issuing FIFA a red card. As thorough and detailed as the US indictments were, they never explicitly said why the U. S Department of Justice had decided to delve into the culture of corruption at FIFA, which by all accounts had been operating this way for years, probably decades.

So why now? While no U S officials said it to anyone watching that day, it was perfectly clear. And then there's the other investigation. The investigation began after the US narrowly lost the two thousand and twenty two World Cup to the country of Cutter amid allegations of bribery. But almost immediately there were questions about the wisdom of holding the World Cup in the Arabian desert heat in

one of the hottest places on Earth. Listen, you already know the selection of Russia and Qatar for the two thousand, eighteen and two thousand and twenty two World Cups were

riddled with accusations of collusion. That knowledge colored every comment and statement made by Lynch and the other d o J officials that day the indictments were announced, Yet none of the charges on fifteen were directly related to those now discredited bids in Despite hours of secret recordings made by Chuck Blazer and the inside information from Jose Avila, none of the corruption outlined in the indictment directly implicated

FIFA presidents set Bladder. Bladder, who ran FIFA while all these dirty deals took place, was curiously absent from the charging papers. In nearly twenty years running football's governing body, billions have poured into FIFA's coffers from sponsors and broadcasters and back out again to football administrators around the world. FIFA has lurched from graft scandal to graft scandal, but

Blatter has always walked away unscathed. FIFA's presidents seemed to be in the clear for now, but questions about Qatar and Russia lingered, and Lauretta Lynch hinted that Bladder could still be a target. I'm not going to comment on the stage at us of any individual who has isn't named to date. The announcement today is about the charges involving just these individuals, and I'm not able to comment

further on Mr bladders status. The message was obvious if you have any information about corruption inside FIVA, speak up now or take your chances riding out. The storm was set. Oh and it was also really clear the d o J wasn't through with its work and the two thousand twenty two World Cup bid rigging, well not in the indictment, was at the heart of the investigation. So let's go

back and talk about what happened. It was snowing in Zurich the night before FIFA's Executive Committee was set to vote on which two countries would get the two thousand and eighteen and two thousand and twenty two World Cups. The soft glow of the city's lights reflected off the fallen snow, illuminating the streets lined with a mix of

modern and medieval buildings. Zurich is the center of Switzerland's secretive financial and banking industries and home to FIFA, and on this night before the two thousand and ten vote, the city was teaming with celebrities. Eleven countries had submitted nine bids to FIFA, two of them were joint proposals. Each nation paraded a slew of a listeners to woo the lords of soccer in the wood paneled bar of the Bar Lack, Yes, the very same hotel that would

be rated five years later. Soccer icon David Beckham sipped single malt whiskey and pressed England's case to host the two thousand and eighteen World Cup. Prince William chatted up Trinidad's notorious dealmaker Jack Warner, who was still a few months away from getting caught trying to rig the two thousand and eleven presidential election. Australia dispatched the stunning L McPherson, the supermodel known around the world as the Body, hoping

she'd uh peel to FIFA's all male executive committee. Six sounds well, it does. And let's be honest, when you're sitting there considering who you're gonna vote for, and L walks out there in a beenie, in a bikinie, that will get your attention. Former President Bill Clinton with factor Morgan Freeman and tow shilled for the United States. Clinton did what any good politician does, shake hands slapped backs

and stroked the sizeable egos of FIFA's voters. The US had its eye on the two thousand twenty two bid. I believe your commitment to make every World Cup something more than the contests of the game, to address the larger challenges that all the players and their families and their fellow countrymen and women faced back home, is one of the defining characteristics of this great organization. Meanwhile, England

was feeling particularly plucky. There's a spring in Camp England's step tonight and a sense that the three pronged attack of the Prime Minister, Prince William and David Beckham is paying dividends and the World Cup might just might be within reach. When Russian Prime Minister of Vladimir Putin announced he'd skip the proceedings in Zurich, it was taken as a sign that Russia wasn't a true contender. In hindsight, when Putin mocked the entire process, saying he wanted FIFA's

voters to make their decision free of outside pressure. The English really everyone probably should have realized the fix was in, but the English were confident, and they weren't the only ones feeling cocky in the weeks before the vote. As you heard, the US was focused on the World Cup, and the American bid, like the English one, was rated

highly by FIFA. Both countries had modern stadiums, the ability to accommodate large numbers of tourists, and the marketing opportunity, commercials, brandings. All that corporate stuff were gold, which we know FIFA loves. Conversely,

Russia and Qatar scored poorly. They didn't have the modern FIFA style stadiums, ample hotel rooms and convenient transportation options of the rivals, and in the case of Qatar, where temperatures soar above a hundred and ten degrees fahrenheit, the idea of a summer tournament seemed out of the question. And Russia and Qatar's history of human rights abuses, while frequently raised by Western media, they were less of a

concern for FIFA. Despite all of the red flags, became clear to everyone Russia and Qatar were serious contenders as the soccer World gathered in Zurich that snowy evening in December of two thousand and ten, especially since there was a growing suspicion that FIFA's two voters were taking more than just the technical and commercial aspects of the bids into account. It is indeed a great day today, on

this second of December. If you're still skeptical about the importance and power of FIFA, I want you to consider the moment before the winning bids were announced in two thousand and ten, hundreds of government leaders and celebrities had flown in from around the world to crowd into the Zurich Convention Center, every one of them forced to hand

over their mobile phones to security. Hundreds of millions of TVs around the world flipped on to watch FIFA's announcement, and all of the wanna be host nations fans assembled at watch parties, hand clinching, chewing their fingernails. Up on the stage under the bright lights, stood set Bladder, FIFA's longtime president. Every so often, a camera cut to the crowd, catching glimpses of the v I P s in the room, Bill Clinton, L. McPherson, Prince William Morgan, Freeman, David Cameron,

David Beckham, zadan Za Dane. Normally these celebrities are the center of their own universe, but now they just have to wait, like millions of fans around the world for Bladder to open the envelopes set. Bladder is at this moment the most important man in their world, and he knows it. Like a symphony conductor. He's playing on the crowd's emotions, cracking jokes, thanking people. As everyone waits, you can see it on their faces. Sep get to the announcement.

Andy will eventually, like a smiling next accutioner, he will rip open the first envelope and rip out the hearts of so many people with his announcement. There are no happy faces in this crowd. Instead, they project a spectrum of pain, anxiety and fear. There's so much writing on this moment. Bladder, an elderly swissman with an Elvish grin at the corner of his mouth, is at this moment

the puppet master of global soccer, of global politics. Really, finally he tears open the first envelope and so the FIFA Volt Cup ladies and gentlemen will be organized. In Russia, the Russians celebrated the English delegation sits stone faced. I couldn't believe what they had just heard. Prince William looked on in disbelief. The head of the England bit just stead into space. You can imagine what they're thinking. Russia,

corrupt Russia, pudent's Russia. A few minutes later, as the Americans are ready to jump up with chance of USA USA, bladder opens the second envelope. The winner to organize the two twenty two FIFA vote Cup is Ka. The ecstatic Qatari delegation jumps up in the air, hugging each other, pumping their fists. The rest of the room sat in silence. What had just happened? Then the whispers began. The journalist

Grant Wall was in the room that day. He remembers everyone around him looking at each other asking in disbelief Qatar, Russia, Russia and Qatar. Instantly there was like shaking of heads of like something shady has happened here. Reporters and commentators

wondered aloud. How is it possible that these two countries, the most ill suited and ill prepared nations, had won over the United States, in England, over Australia, South Korea, Japan, the joint bids of Spain and Portugal, Belgium, and the Netherlands. It's easy to point the finger at Russia and Qatar to claim they rig the vote. But you see, they

simply played the dirty game that FIFA created. FIFA not only encouraged, but designed an entire selection process that chose World Cup hosts in that indirect light that set Bladder was so fond of. But when the process gets too dark, too shady, too murky, people start asking questions, and for FIFA, the answers to those questions would lead to an avalanche of other questions, questions that couldn't be answered without doing

some significant damage to FIFA itself. That day, I think is probably the most important day in the history of FIFA in the one century in terms of what it set in motion. The losing bidders had plenty of reason to ask what had happened with Russian Qatar. It wasn't just bruised national pride or first World privilege. Months before a newspaper investigation raised serious concerns about vote rigging, Ronald Tamari was relaxed, a native of the small island nation

of Tahiti, to marry. Often projected a cool, calm beachgoer vibe. On this fall day in two thousand and ten, just a couple of months before the World Cup vote. The top two buttons of his light blue dress shirt were open. Why should a meeting with American lobbyists be so formal? To Marry was the sole representative of FIFA's Pacific Island

Confederation a k OCEANA and on FIFA's Executive Committee. He was used to meeting with representatives of countries looking to host the World Cup, so Mary knew why these lobbiests had traveled such a long way to see him at his office in Auckland, New Zealand. The only question was how badly did they want to host the World Cup. Already, two other bidders had offered a millions for his vote.

So when the lobbyists, who said they were from a consortium of American businesses hoping to bring the World Cup to the US in two thousand and twenty two, offered to pay to Marry for his support, he left at the chance. He told his guests he was looking for about two million dollars to build a sports academy. Is it something safe, for example, that that our consortium might be able to Yes, distress on tape, you're here to Marry tell the two visiting lobbyists he was open to

accepting money for a new sports academy. But the visitors they weren't lobbyists, a big headline story for a British newspaper, a big headache for World football's governing body. They were reporters for The Sunday Times, a major British newspaper, and they had just filmed Tamari agreeing to sell his vote, or at least suggesting he was open to selling it. He wasn't the only one the Sunday Times caught on tape.

Nigeria's FIFA executive committee member was filmed agreeing to sell his vote and asked that the money be sent directly to him instead of his federation. FIFA acted quickly when the news broke. The two men were suspended from voting in the upcoming selection process. But what shady dealings hadn't been caught on tape. The magnitude of the decision to select Qatar and Russia unleashed a tidal wave of accusations

about bribes and vote trading. Millions of pounds and knighthood and a brand new sports facility just some of the backhanders which football officials have allegedly demanded in exchange for backing World Cup bids. Some people actually think this is a genuine competition. It's not. It's about deals and double deals and counter deals. That's Bonita Mercades. She's a long time sports marketing executive in Australia and she was part of the team back in her country's two thousand and

twenty two bid. After spending some fifty million dollars of taxpayer money on flashy videos and lobbyists, Australia's World Cup bid failed spectacularly. Australia has bid to host the two World Cup has come to a crushing end. It's got just one vote from the twenty two FIFA executive members. For two years before the vote tanked. In Zurich, Mercats saw firsthand just how dodgy the entire World Cup selection process was. Her Australian boss has fired her in two

thousand and ten. She says for raising concerns about FIFA's bidding process, and it sounds terrible to say so, but you only had to meet some of these people to think that these people don't do business the same way as other people do business. FIFA's process has been criticized for years, not only for the clear cut cases of bribery and vote buying, but also for the vast gray areas that invite corruption, guidelines that say don't do this, but at the same time say absolutely do this. So,

for example, running the two bids together two. On the one hand, the bidding guideline said, don't collude with another bidder, but on the other hand, we were running two bids at the same time, the FIFA was running two bids at the same time. The obvious thing when you're strategizing a campaign to win something, and that's what it's all about, was that you would find other bidding nations who, for instance, may have wanted while you were content to go for two,

and talk about how you could collude. FIVA's rules are clear bribery and vote buying are prohibited, but they also encourage bidders to leave a quote legacy, a sort of FIFA gift to the voting association that isn't supposed to be interpreted as a bribe, but in reality pretty much looks like a bribe. We had to leave a legacy from the bid, not a legacy from the World Cup itself, because that came later, but a legacy from running the bid,

which is just a ridiculous notion. So if you've got to have a legacy from running the bid and there are only twenty four voters, what do you do? You asked those twenty four voter as well, what would you like that we can help you in terms of legacy from our bid? Once the what would you like question is asked, it's only a matter of time before demands are made. Remember that sports academy that Ronald Simari asked for, and then there were the demands of Jack Warner, King

of the Grift. But first a point of clarification. You heard her say twenty four voters, but there were only two voters in zero in two thousand and ten. That's because Tamari and the Nigerian executive were booted off after the Sunday Times investigation. When it came to Jack Warner

over it doesn't even begin to describe it. There was no subtlety about his requests, whether it be a piece of jewelry, whether it be paying for travel and accommodation related to a Trinidad and Tobago under twenty team, whether it be for funds to supposedly upgrade a stadium in Trinidad and Tobago, it didn't matter what it was, there

was nothing overt about it. Among Jack Warner's mini requests in two thousand and ten, he wanted five thousand dollars to upgrade soccer fields at conker Caalfs Center of Excellence, which didn't actually belong to FIFA, but instead to Warner himself. Long after Mercy Adez was fired, Australia paid the money directly to Warner. They insisted it wasn't a bribe. Why was Australia even thinking it was appropriate to be contributing US five hundred thousand dollars to upgrade a stadium in

in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. And this is part of the absurdity. Why would we do that? And the only reason we did it is because Jack Warner asked for it. True to his reputation, Warner made multiple requests. According to Lord David Treesman, who ran England's bid for the two thousand and eighteen World Cup, Warner hit them up for roughly three million dollars. Treesman said Warner had told him he wanted to leave his home of Trinidad's

a legacy. The English officials refused, you must be joking, Jack, You're talking about probably two and a half million pounds. Jack. Warner nodded at that and sat back. You didn't say anything. He nodded, douchet, but then said that the funds could be channeled through here and he would guarantee that they were appropriately spent. But Warner, he wasn't the only one

looking for a payday. Nicolas Laos, the Paraguayan, told Lord Treesman a knighthood would be appropriate, and the Tide delegate Worri Mkudi wanted lucrative TV rights for a planned international friendly. What shady games Russia might have engaged in, it isn't clear because Moscow destroyed all of its emails and files connected to its winning bid. There are rumors that Vladimir Putin offered a Picasso painting to Michelle Platini, then the

president of UEFA, the European Football Association. The rumors about the Picasso were never proven, but Russia did give an unnamed painting of a landscape to a different FIFA executive committee member, though Viva says the unnamed painting had no significant monetary value. Mean, you just can't make this stuff up. And then there's Qatar, the unlikeliest of World Cup hosts. The decision to award the tournament to Cutter was highly controversial.

Now millions of secret documents leaked to The Sunday Times raised new questions over how Kata won the vote. At the center of the new allegations is this man, Mohammed bin Hammam. The key to Qatar's victory appears to have been Mohammed bin Hammam, or, to be more specific, his money. Email after email appears to show he was not only backing Kata, but controlling a covert fund of five million

dollars to buy support and influence. As you recall, Bin Hamma would later go on to challenge that ladder for the FIFA presidency with some help from Jack Warner, which would then send Chuck Blazer into a tail span and inadvertently into the arms of the i r S. Bin Hammam was not officially part of katar his bid team in two thousand and ten, but he seems to have bankrolled it and spread the money around been her mom, paid bribes and operated slush funds to pay people who

had an influence on the vote. Former FIFA Vice president Mohammed bin har Mom paid three point seven million euros to delegates in return for their support for Qatar's World Cup bid. Qatar defeated the US fourteen votes to AID in the final round, and it's believed that many, maybe even all, of Qatar's votes were bought in some form

or another. FIFA executive members Isa Hayatu of Cameroon and Jack and Amo of the Ivory Coast each pocketed one and a half million dollars to support Qatar, saying with Nicholas Leo's of Paraguay, whose name you might remember from the two thousand and fifteen indictment. It's also alleged Ronald Tamari and Amos Adamu, the Nigerian delegate, were offered money by on one representing Qatar, with a million dollars just turning up in a bank account belonging to a Damu's son.

The only FIFA Executive Committee member that bin ha Mom and Qatar didn't try to bribe appears to have been Chuck Blazer, who had the US one the two thousand and twenty two tournament, would have become the King of US soccer. Blazer often joked with his girlfriend that he felt slighted he wasn't at least approached with cash. But perhaps the most interesting Qatari deal is the one France made.

Ever since Qatar was awarded the two world cut back in two thousand and ten has been this shadow of alleged corruption, But there's always been a lot of intrigue over Platini's choice to vote for Katar. Michelle Platini, the former French soccer star, and you if a president at the time, had, like Sep Ladder, been a supporter of

America's two thousand and need to bid. The two, according to Bladder, had a gentleman's agreement to return the World Cup to the US and tap into its massive media market. But nine days before that fateful two thousand and ten vote was set to take place, Platini was invited to lunch within French President Nicolas Sarkozzi. The meeting was held in secret in Paris just before that vote. Also at the table Qatar's Prime minister Shaike Hammad bin Jessum and

the son of Qatar's ruler, Tomim al Thani. Platini denies he was told who to vote for, but whatever was said at the meeting, it had an impact on him. Platini then rode back on that promise he switched to support the Middle Eastern country. Platini acknowledged it was crystal clear who Sarkozy supported, but insisted that he himself didn't bow to any political pressure. Speaking to Sky News several

years later, Platini tried to defend his decision. He's a chance for here's a chance for a part of this part of the world to receive the World Cups. Instead, we're asked to believe Plantiny, once the best player in the world, decided to stage the World Cup in a scorching hot desert country with no soccer history and no soccer stadiums. Critics suggest the decision to bought Qatar was made because of politics and trade, not for football reasons.

Not long after Platini switched his support, a new economic relationship blossom between Qatar and France. Qatar bought fifty French made Airbus A three twenty jumbo jets in French firms have won lucrative construction contracts to build the required World Cup infrastructure in Qatar. Oh and Sarkozy's favorite soccer team, Paris Saint Germain, which had a famed history but no money or recent success was bought by Qatar Sovereign Wealth Fund. So yeah, you might conclude that lunch was a lot

more consequential than Platini was willing to admit. Let's review. The U s Department of Justice had just indicted fourteen high ranking soccer officials and what was the largest global corruption case in the history of the world, and it was happening to FIFA, an organization that says its entire purpose is to spread fair play and inclusiveness by making soccer a global sport. One name conspicuously left off the list Sep Ladder, the godfather of soccer. In our next episode,

Ladder struggles to hold onto the reins of power. And for those of you still listening, here's the rest of

the officials who were indicted. In addition to Warner and Web, there were Eduardo Lee, a Costa Rican soccer official and FIFA executive board member, Julio Rocha Lopez, a Nicaraguan who oversaw FIFA's development projects in Central America, Costas Takas, a British accountant and senior advisor with Conka calf Eugenio Figuretto, a Uruguayan FIFA vice president, and past president of Commy Ball,

Raphael Equivil, a Venezuelan and executive with Commy Ball. Jose Maria Morin, a Brazilian and chair of the two thousand and fourteen Brazil World Cup. Nicholas Leo's a Paraguayan who was a former Commy Ball president and who also sat on FIFA's executive committee. That's a lot of names, and wait, there's more. In addition to the FIFA officials, five high powered sports executives who did business with FIFA were also charged.

Alejandro Brazaco, the director of an Argentine sports marketing firm, Aaron Davidson, the North American president of Traffic Group, Jose Marghali's a Brazilian broadcaster who facilitated million in bribes. And there was Hugo and Mariano Yankis in Argentine father and son duo who ran the sports marketing company Full Play Group. The Lords of Soccer Al FIFA Stole The Beautiful Game is an Inside Voices media production in conjunction with I

Heart Radio. The series was written and executive produced by Gary Scott and me Connor Powell, Logan Heftel and Katie mcmurran provided the sound design with assistance from j. C. Swaddick and Jake Blue Note. Alec Cowen is our associate producer and Jeffrey Katz was our story editor. Our fact checker is Alexa O'Brien, and thanks to Miles Gray, who produced the series for I Heart Radio. If you have any comments or questions, please reach out. You can find

us on Twitter. I'm at Connor M. Powell and Gary is at Gary Robert Scott and if you have any stories about FIFA, let us know. If you like what you hear, please give us a shout out at the hashtag Lords of Soccer