The National Futsal League is the third futsal league in England . It is a Community Interest Company owned and controlled by its Member Clubs and administered by an annually elected Board of Directors.
80-521: The league is played under FIFA rules, began in 2008, and featured 57 teams in the 3 division pyramid for the 2018–19 season: FA Futsal Super League, Division 1 (North and South), and Division 2 (North, South, and Midlands). The FA National Futsal Super League was the highest level of futsal within England and the national champions became England's representatives in the UEFA Futsal Cup . From
160-544: A 2005 TV rights deal he signed with Jack Warner. In March 2017, FIFA submitted 1300 pages of reports to the Swiss Attorney General's office. After investigation, in November 2021 Blatter and Platini were charged with fraud in relation to the 2 million Swiss franc payment made from FIFA funds to Platini in 2011. In September 2015, Swiss public television channel SRF published that Blatter would have sold
240-736: A body called the International Football Association Board (IFAB). FIFA has members on its board (four representatives); the other four are provided by the football associations of the United Kingdom: England , Scotland , Wales , and Northern Ireland , who jointly established IFAB in 1882 and are recognized for the creation and history of the game. Changes to the Laws of the Game must be agreed upon by at least six delegates. The FIFA Statutes form
320-629: A book – Foul – and broadcast the BBC Panorama documentary "The Beautiful Bung: Corruption and the World Cup". Panorama later aired the "Fifa and Co" documentary in 2007, which contained an allegation of soliciting a bribe against Jack Warner and a court judgement that Jérôme Valcke had lied in FIFA business dealings. These reports led the FBI to contact Jennings in 2009. On 29 November 2010
400-614: A high level of racism in football and because of its involvement in the 2014 Ukrainian crisis . After it was announced that Russia would host the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Dr Rafał Pankowski , a head of UEFA FARE Monitoring Centre, accused the Russian Football Union of downplaying racist chants in stadiums. The annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in 2014 led to several British and American politicians calling on FIFA to overturn its decision of hosting
480-471: A machine." This stance was finally overturned on 3 March 2018, when the IFAB wrote video assistant referees (also known as VARs) into the Laws of the Game permanently. Their use remains optional for competitions. In early July 2012 FIFA sanctioned the use of goal-line technology, subject to rules specified by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), who had officially approved its use by amending
560-399: A meeting with FIFA vice-president Chung Mong-joon in which a vote-trading deal for the right to host the 2018 World Cup was discussed. In November 2013, Blazer pleaded guilty to 10 criminal charges including wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering, and offenses involving income tax and banking. Blazer's guilty plea had aimed to stave off a more serious charge of racketeering, which carried
640-483: A member of the association. The first tournament FIFA staged, the association football competition for the 1908 Olympics in London was more successful than its Olympic predecessors, despite the presence of professional footballers, contrary to the founding principles of FIFA. Membership of FIFA expanded beyond Europe with the application of South Africa in 1909, Argentina in 1912, Canada and Chile in 1913, and
720-499: A potential 20-year prison sentence. Blazer would later make secret recordings of meetings with FIFA officials, and allegedly carried a recording device concealed in a keyring during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The information against Blazer (the charging document used in lieu of an indictment for a plea bargain ) was revealed on 27 May 2015, the same day that the arrests were made in Zurich. In 2011, Phaedra Al-Majid , who
800-418: A scheme to defraud FIFA and CONCACAF of the right to honest services by taking undisclosed bribes" and that he had "agreed with others in or around 1992 to facilitate the acceptance of a bribe in conjunction with the selection of the host nation for the 1998 World Cup . I and others on the FIFA executive committee agreed to accept bribes in conjunction with the selection of South Africa as the host nation for
880-678: A single body to oversee association football became increasingly apparent at the beginning of the 20th century with the increasing popularity of international fixtures. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was founded in the rear of the headquarters of the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques (USFSA) at the Rue Saint Honoré 229 in Paris on 21 May 1904. The French name and acronym are universally adopted outside French-speaking countries. The founding members were
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#1732772721872960-714: Is alleged to have paid at least $ 40 million in bribes to become the sole provider of uniforms, footwear, accessories, and equipment to the Brazil national team . In December 2010, federal law enforcement agents secured the undercover cooperation of American football executive and CONCACAF official Chuck Blazer . The FBI's New York office had begun its probe as a spin-off of an unrelated organised crime investigation, and in August 2011, IRS-CI's Los Angeles office began investigating Blazer's alleged failure to file personal income tax returns. In December 2011, IRS-CI became aware of what
1040-485: Is awarded The Best FIFA Men's Player , and the top women's player is The Best FIFA Women's Player . Other prominent awards are The Best FIFA Football Coach and FIFA FIFPRO World 11 . In 2000, FIFA presented two awards, FIFA Club of the Century and FIFA Player of the Century , to decide the greatest football club and player of the 20th century. Real Madrid was the club winner, while Diego Maradona and Pelé were
1120-520: Is definitely included on the list of what is considered an illegal activity under the Travel Act. Any relevant transaction, even if it is only tangentially related to America, can be targeted. In one instance, a representative of First Caribbean International Bank in the Bahamas flew to New York to pick up a cheque for $ 250,000 (the alleged bribe) from the bribe recipient to transport it safely back to
1200-723: Is held by the National Football Museum at Urbis in Manchester, England. The first World Cup was held in 1930 in Montevideo , Uruguay. The FIFA flag is blue, with the organization's wordmark logo in the middle. The current FIFA flag was first flown during the 2018 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Moscow, Russia. Akin to the UEFA Champions League , FIFA has adopted an anthem composed by
1280-639: Is responsible for organizing and promoting football's major international tournaments , notably the World Cup which began in 1930, and the Women's World Cup which commenced in 1991. Although FIFA does not solely set the laws of the game , that being the responsibility of the International Football Association Board of which FIFA is a member, it applies and enforces the rules across all FIFA competitions. All FIFA tournaments generate revenue from sponsorships; in 2022, FIFA had revenues of over US$ 5.8 billion, ending
1360-547: Is the current president, elected on 26 February 2016 at an extraordinary FIFA Congress session after former president Sepp Blatter was suspended pending a corruption investigation . FIFA's worldwide organizational structure also consists of several other bodies under the authority of the FIFA Council or created by Congress as standing committees. Among those bodies are the FIFA Emergency Committee,
1440-686: Is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football , beach soccer , and futsal . It was founded in 1904 to oversee international competition among the national associations of Belgium , Denmark , France , Germany , the Netherlands , Spain (represented by the Madrid Football Club ), Sweden , and Switzerland . Headquartered in Zurich , Switzerland, its membership now comprises 211 national associations . These national associations must also be members of one of
1520-421: Is very calculated. He'll try very hard to save himself, I'm sure of it." In May 2011, The Sunday Times published claims from a whistle-blower that President of CAF Issa Hayatou had, along with fellow Executive Committee member Jacques Anouma, accepted $ 1.5 million bribes from Qatar to secure his support for their bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In 2013, former FIFA President João Havelange and
1600-720: The 2010 World Cup ". On 6 June, Phaedra Almajid, who had been placed under the protective custody of the FBI, claimed that FIFA would be forced to strip Qatar from hosting the 2022 World Cup. On 9 June, Italian-Argentinian Alejandro Burzaco was arrested in Italy. The two remaining Argentinian businessmen indicted, Hugo Jinkis and Mariano Jinkis , surrendered to a court in Buenos Aires on 18 June. On 17 September 2015, FIFA stated that Jérôme Valcke had been put on leave and released from his duties until further notice. The decision
1680-594: The Brazilian Football Confederation President Ricardo Teixeira were both found to have taken bribes worth millions of dollars. FIFA executive committee member Manilal Fernando was sanctioned with a lifetime ban for bribery and corruption. In the wake of the corruption case, it was reported that in 2008 the general secretary of FIFA, Jérôme Valcke was alleged to have transferred $ 10 million that had been given to FIFA by Danny Jordaan , president of
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#17327727218721760-644: The Copa América Centenario to be hosted in 2016 in the United States. The indictment handed down by the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn , New York, alleges that bribery was used in an attempt to influence clothing sponsorship contracts, the selection process for the 2010 FIFA World Cup host, and the 2011 FIFA presidential election . Specifically, an unnamed sports equipment company – identified in multiple sources as Nike, Inc. –
1840-757: The Costa Rican Football Federation and Eugenio Figueredo , formerly of the Uruguayan Football Association . The investigation lasted several years, with the first arrest, of former CONCACAF president Jack Warner 's son Daryll, made in July 2013. In total, seven then-current FIFA officials were arrested at the Hotel Baur au Lac in Zürich on 27 May. They were preparing to attend the 65th FIFA Congress , which
1920-822: The FIFA Ethics Committee , the Finance Committee, the Disciplinary Committee, and the Referees Committee. The FIFA Emergency Committee deals with all matters requiring immediate settlement in the time frame between the regular meetings of the FIFA Council . The Emergency Committee consists of the FIFA president as well as one member from each confederation. Emergency Committee decisions made are immediately put into legal effect, although they need to be ratified at
2000-567: The FIFA Executive Committee who participated in the December 2010 votes that chose the hosts for the 2018 and 2022 world cups. In September 2015, Switzerland began investigating a payment Blatter authorised in 2011 to the president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Michel Platini for work done between 1999 and 2002. They also launched an investigation of possible "criminal mismanagement" by Blatter in
2080-551: The Garcia Report . In November 2014, she stated that she was coerced into withdrawing her allegations as she feared for her safety and due to her lack of legal representation. As of June 2015 , she was in FBI protective custody, when she stated, "The FBI have everything... There are people who are annoyed with me [for speaking out], and what really irks them is that I'm a female, Muslim whistleblower... I just don't think Blatter actually intends to quit. Everything he does
2160-693: The Iran–Iraq War , Saudi Arabia for its military intervention in Yemen , Qatar for its human rights violations , or the United States for the actions of the US military during the Iraq War . FIFA previously banned Indonesia due to government intervention within the team. FIFA requires members to play "with no influence from third parties". On October 23, 2024, a new controversy came up as allegations against FIFA were made by players from several countries claiming
2240-510: The Laws of the Game to permit (but not require) its use. This followed a high-profile incident during a second-round game in the 2010 FIFA World Cup between England and Germany, where a shot by Englishman Frank Lampard , which would have levelled the scores at 2–2 in a match that ultimately ended in a 4–1 German victory, crossed the line but was not seen to do so by the match officials, which led FIFA officials to declare that they would re-examine
2320-619: The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) Act, which was intended for use against the Mafia . In addition, officials have been charged with violations of the Travel Act. The relevant part of the law essentially says that it is illegal to engage in interstate or foreign travel, or use the mails or "any facility in interstate commerce" to promote, manage, establish or carry on an illegal activity. That activity can be illegal under either federal or state law. Bribery
2400-653: The South African Football Association , to accounts controlled by Jack Warner, then head of CONCACAF. The payment is a key piece of the American prosecutors' indictment that accuses Warner of taking a bribe in exchange for helping South Africa secure the right to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup . The payment from the South African Football Association had been intended to support the development of football in
2480-708: The US Department of Justice on charges including racketeering , wire fraud , and money laundering . On 27 May 2015, several of these officials were arrested by Swiss authorities, who launched a simultaneous but separate criminal investigation into how the organization awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Those among these officials who were also indicted in the US are expected to be extradited to face charges there as well. Many officials were suspended by FIFA's ethics committee including Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini . In early 2017, reports became public about FIFA president Gianni Infantino attempting to prevent
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2560-462: The United States in 1914. The 1912 Spalding Athletic Library "Official Guide" includes information on the 1912 Olympics (scores and stories), AAFA, and FIFA. The 1912 FIFA President was Dan B Woolfall. Daniel Burley Woolfall was president from 1906 to 1918. During World War I , with many players sent off to war and the possibility of travel for international fixtures severely limited,
2640-613: The law of Switzerland . FIFA's supreme body is the FIFA Congress , an assembly of representatives from each affiliated member association. Each national football association has one vote, regardless of size or footballing strength. The Congress assembles in ordinary sessions once every year, and extraordinary sessions have been held once a year since 1998. Congress makes decisions relating to FIFA's governing statutes and their method of implementation and application. Only Congress can pass changes to FIFA's statutes. The congress approves
2720-755: The list of national football teams and their respective country codes . The number of FIFA member associations is higher than the number of UN member states as FIFA has admitted associations from 23 non-sovereign entities as members in their own right, such as the four Home Nations within the United Kingdom and the two special administrative regions of China : Hong Kong and Macau . On 28 February 2022, FIFA suspended Russia from all competitions due to controversy surrounding Russia's invasion of Ukraine. FIFA can suspend countries due to numerous multifaceted issues. Common reasons include governance interference, corruption, and financial irregularities. Doping or
2800-439: The $ 10 million payment to Warner was a bribe. Later that day, the FBI unsealed the transcript of the allocution made by former FIFA member and head of CONCACAF , Chuck Blazer which he had made when he pleaded guilty in 2013 to various charges as part of an apparent plea bargain . In Blazer's partially- redacted allocution, he claimed that he "and others, while acting in our official capacities, agreed to participate in
2880-588: The 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup rights in North America for US$ 600,000, a small fraction of their market value. Torneos & Traffic (T&T) is a subsidiary of Fox International Channels since 2005 (with investments since 2002). It is the same company involved in corrupt practices in the acquisition of rights to major South American football tournaments. A total of 18 individuals and two corporations have been indicted, including nine FIFA officials and five businessmen. The December indictment included
2960-537: The 2018 World Cup in Russia. Criticism from a number of media outlets, sporting experts, and human rights groups also highlighted problems such as Qatar's limited football history, the high expected cost, the local climate, and Qatar's human rights record. Since in summer temperature will reach more than 50 °C (122 °F) in Qatar, it was announced on 24 February 2015 that a winter World Cup would go ahead in favour of
3040-778: The 2019/20 season the FA National Futsal Series replaced the National Futsal League as the highest level of futsal in England, as well as the England's representatives in the UEFA Futsal Champions League . In the 2019/20 season, the National Futsal League consisted of the Premiership North, Premiership South, Championship North, Championship Midlands, and Championship South. The league ended due to COVID-19 and
3120-485: The 2019–2022 cycle with a net positive of $ 1.2 billion, and cash reserves of over $ 3.9 billion. Reports by investigative journalists have linked FIFA leadership with corruption, bribery, and vote-rigging related to the election of FIFA president Sepp Blatter and the organization's decision to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar, respectively. These allegations led to the indictments of nine high-ranking FIFA officials and five corporate executives by
3200-562: The Americas' FIFA World Cup qualifying tournaments, and showpiece tournaments CONCACAF Gold Cup and Copa América . CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb , also serving president of the Cayman Islands Football Association , was arrested in connection with the investigation, as was former CONMEBOL President Nicolás Leoz , while two sitting FIFA Executive Committee members were also arrested: Eduardo Li of
3280-454: The BBC broadcast FIFA's Dirty Secrets , a second documentary by Jennings. This was aired just days before the results of the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bids in Zurich, Switzerland. Following the bidding process, FIFA announced that Russia and Qatar had won the rights to stage the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively. The result immediately caused controversies, as Russia is accused of
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3360-651: The Caribbean. $ 1.6 million of the South African payment was used by Warner to pay personal loans and credit cards and a further $ 360,000 was withdrawn by people connected to Warner. The Trinidadian supermarket chain JTA Supermarkets also received $ 4,860,000 from the FIFA payment. The Department of Justice has not charged anybody at FIFA with bribery. Prosecutors have instead alleged racketeering, wire fraud , and money laundering conspiracies under
3440-939: The FBI was up to from news reports and the two offices began a joint investigation of Blazer. They were investigating Blazer's involvement in the bidding process for host countries for the FIFA World Cups from the early 1990s onwards. The United States is one of five countries that broadly exercise worldwide jurisdiction to tax the net income of its citizens from any source in the world. It also requires taxpayers to report and pay tax on illegal income , and exercises worldwide jurisdiction over all financial institutions with U.S.-based account holders . Blazer agreed to cooperate almost immediately after two agents approached him in New York and confronted him with proof of his tax crimes. In December 2010, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and British Prime Minister David Cameron attended
3520-823: The German composer Franz Lambert since the 1994 FIFA World Cup . It has been re-arranged and produced by Rob May and Simon Hill . The FIFA Anthem is played at the beginning of official FIFA sanctioned matches and tournaments such as international friendlies, the FIFA World Cup , FIFA Women's World Cup , FIFA U-20 World Cup , FIFA U-17 World Cup , Football at the Summer Olympics , FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup , FIFA Women's U-17 World Cup , FIFA Futsal World Cup , FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup and FIFA Club World Cup . Since 2007, FIFA has also required most of its broadcast partners to use short sequences including
3600-911: The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI) into wire fraud , racketeering , and money laundering . The United States Attorney General simultaneously announced the unsealing of the indictments and the prior guilty pleas by four football executives and two corporations. The investigation revolved around collusion between officials of continental football bodies CONMEBOL (South America) and CONCACAF (Caribbean, Central and North America), and sports marketing executives. The sports marketing executives were holders of media and marketing rights for high-profile international competitions including
3680-693: The United States. On the same day, the Swiss attorney general's office said that other FIFA executives were being questioned on suspicion of "criminal mismanagement" and money laundering. On 2 June 2015 a letter was published, claiming that Jérôme Valcke was party to a potential bribe paid to former FIFA executive Jack Warner in relation to votes for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Despite his win just four days previously, Sepp Blatter announced his resignation as FIFA President. The following day, South Africa sports minister Fikile Mbalula denied
3760-588: The annual report and decides on the acceptance of new national associations, and holds elections. Congress elects the President of FIFA , its general secretary, and the other members of the FIFA Council in the year following the FIFA World Cup . FIFA Council – formerly called the FIFA Executive Committee and chaired by the president – is the organization's main decision-making body in the intervals of Congress. The council comprises 37 people:
3840-547: The anthem at the beginning and end of FIFA event coverage and for break bumpers to help promote FIFA's sponsors. This emulates practices long used by international football events, such as the UEFA Champions League. Exceptions may be made for specific circumstances; for example, an original piece of African music was used for bumpers during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Besides its worldwide institutions, there are six confederations recognized by FIFA which oversee
3920-451: The case of two former Ireland internationals . As a direct result of this controversy, FIFA modified this ruling the following year to accommodate transfers between leagues with out-of-phase seasons. FIFA now permits the use of video evidence during matches, as well as for subsequent sanctions. However, for most of FIFA's history it stood opposed to its use. The 1970 meeting of the International Football Association Board "agreed to request
4000-605: The chance of more arrests remaining likely, on which US Attorney General Loretta Lynch stated that the Department of Justice was aware that there are more corrupt officials and organizations, and expressed its commitment to catch all who were involved. On 27 May 2015, during the FIFA annual meeting at the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich, authorities charged 14 officials, including nine current or former FIFA executives, including FIFA vice-president Jeffrey Webb. All faced extradition to
4080-647: The clubs voted to finish the league on a point per game system. The 2020/2021 season did not take place due to COVID-19 restrictions The 2021/2022 season started in September with 4 regional divisions North, South, East, and West. * 2019–20 season was decided, after a Member Club vote, on Points Per Game when the season ended due to COVID-19. FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association ( lit. ' International Federation of Association Football ' ), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( / ˈ f iː f ə / FEE -fə ),
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#17327727218724160-443: The criminal prosecution authorities". Sepp Blatter had been president of FIFA since 1998 (until his removal in December 2015). The Guardian said that FIFA's actions would "... inevitably be viewed with cynicism given Blatter's track record of using the Swiss courts and FIFA's regulatory processes to kick problematic issues into the long grass and deflect attention onto individuals who have already left football". In May 2015, on
4240-542: The defendant's bank account. FIFA commissioned former United States Attorney Michael J. Garcia to investigate and report on the bidding processes behind the awarding of the 2018 FIFA World Cup to Russia and the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar. In November 2014, FIFA made a copy of Garcia's report available to the Attorney General of Switzerland, who then stated that there were "grounds for suspicion that, in isolated cases, international transfers of assets with connections to Switzerland took place which merit examination by
4320-438: The following 16 individuals: In 2001, FIFA affiliate International Sports and Leisure went bankrupt in what were viewed in some circles as suspicious circumstances. In 2002 a FIFA whistleblower contacted British journalist Andrew Jennings relating to alleged corruption within FIFA itself. Following investigations Swiss magistrate Thomas Hildbrand seized documents from FIFA offices in 2005 and in 2007 Jennings published
4400-419: The game in the different continents and regions of the world. National associations, and not the continental confederations, are members of FIFA. The continental confederations are provided for in FIFA's statutes, and membership of a union is a prerequisite to FIFA membership. In total, FIFA recognizes 211 national associations and their associated men's national teams as well as 129 women's national teams; see
4480-484: The hotel occurred in December 2015. The arrests case triggered Australia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Germany and Switzerland to open or intensify separate criminal investigations into top FIFA officials for corruption. The 2015 centre on the alleged use of bribery , fraud and money laundering to corrupt the issuing of media and marketing rights for FIFA games in the Americas , estimated at $ 150 million, including at least $ 110 million in bribes related to
4560-417: The joint player's winners. Men's Women's Men's Women's Individual Team (Paulo Henrique Chaves) (Pedro Henrique Soares) (Paulo Neto) [REDACTED] (Levi de Weerd) (Manuel Bachoore) (Emre Yilmaz) The following table has the Top 20 ranked men's football countries worldwide. The following table has the Top 20 ranked women's football countries in
4640-416: The members of the committee had their salaries doubled from $ 100,000 to $ 200,000 during the year. The report also said leaked documents had indicated $ 4.4 million in secret bonuses had been paid to the committee members following the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The laws that govern football known officially as the Laws of the Game , are not solely the responsibility of FIFA; they are maintained by
4720-403: The misappropriation of drugs is also a consideration for expulsion. The FIFA Men's World Rankings are updated monthly and rank each team based on their performance in international competitions, qualifiers, and friendly matches. There is also a world ranking for women's football , amended on a quarterly schedule. FIFA's headquarters is in Zürich , and it is an association established under
4800-698: The morning of 27 May 2015, seven FIFA officials were arrested just before the start of the 65th FIFA Congress . Two days later Sepp Blatter comfortably defeated Prince Ali bin Hussein to remain as President of FIFA. David Gill threatened to resign his newly elected role as FIFA Vice-president and member of the FIFA Executive Committee . 41 arrests in total had been made with both organizations and individuals being arrested. Within these arrests, 14 people have been convicted. Out of these 14, there are 12 individuals and 2 organisations. They were all charged with things like "racketeering, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracies". The investigations continued with
4880-468: The national associations of Belgium , Denmark , France , the Netherlands , Spain (represented by then- Real Madrid CF ; the Royal Spanish Football Federation was not created until 1913), Sweden and Switzerland . On the same day, the German Football Association (DFB) declared its intention to affiliate through a telegram. The first president of FIFA was Robert Guérin . Guérin was replaced in 1906 by Daniel Burley Woolfall from England , by then
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#17327727218724960-428: The next Executive Committee meeting. FIFA publishes its results according to International Financial Reporting Standards . The total compensation for the management committee in 2011 was 30 million for 35 people. Blatter, the only full-time person on the committee, earned approximately two million Swiss francs, 1.2 million in salary, and the rest in bonuses. A report in London's The Sunday Times in June 2014 said
5040-413: The organization did not pay them agreed sums of money. The total reaching with sums reaching up to £3m. According to reports Four hundred and twenty players did not get payed as agreed with FIFA. FIFA holds an annual awards ceremony, The Best FIFA Football Awards since 2016 , which recognizes both individual and team achievements in international association football. Individually, the top men's player
5120-421: The organization's survival was in doubt. Post-war, following the death of Woolfall, the organization was run by Dutchman Carl Hirschmann . It was saved from extinction but at the cost of the withdrawal of the Home Nations (of the United Kingdom), who cited an unwillingness to participate in international competitions with their World War enemies. The Home Nations later resumed their membership. The FIFA collection
5200-414: The overarching document guiding FIFA's governing system. The governing system is divided into separate bodies with the appropriate powers to create a system of checks and balances. It consists of four general bodies: the Congress, the executive committee, the general Secretariat, and standing and ad hoc committees. FIFA frequently takes active roles in the running of the sport and developing the game around
5280-429: The president; 8 vice-presidents; and 28 members from the confederations, with at least one of them being a woman. The executive committee is the body that decides which country will host the World Cup. The president and the general secretary are the main office holders of FIFA and are in charge of its daily administration, carried in by the general secretariat, with its staff of approximately 280 members. Gianni Infantino
5360-430: The re-elections of both chairmen of the ethics committee, Cornel Borbély and Hans-Joachim Eckert , during the FIFA congress in May 2017. On 9 May 2017, following Infantino's proposal, FIFA Council decided not to renew the mandates of Borbély and Eckert. Together with the chairmen, 11 of 13 committee members were removed. FIFA has been suspected of corruption regarding the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup . The need for
5440-487: The same Zurich hotel where seven FIFA officials had been arrested in May 2015. Hours later, the U.S. Department of Justice revealed an additional 16 indictments for criminal schemes; as well, former CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb pleaded guilty to money laundering, wire fraud and racketeering. On 21 December, the FIFA Ethics Committee banned both Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini for eight years from all football-related activity organised by FIFA after being found guilty of
5520-427: The same day as the arrests resulting from the FBI's investigation and in a separate action, the Swiss prosecuting authorities launched a criminal inquiry on "suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering" concerning the 2018 and 2022 bidding processes. The Swiss authorities seized "electronic data and documents" in a raid on FIFA's Zürich headquarters. The Swiss police also planned to question ten members of
5600-400: The six regional confederations: CAF (Africa), AFC (Asia and Australia), UEFA (Europe), CONCACAF (North & Central America and the Caribbean), OFC (Oceania), and CONMEBOL (South America). FIFA outlines several objectives in its organizational statutes, including growing football internationally, ensuring it is accessible to everyone, and advocating for integrity and fair play. It
5680-558: The suspension but lost the appeal on 18 November 2015. German police searched the headquarters of the German Football Association over allegations of illegal deals before the 2006 World Cup. The head of president of the German Football Association, Wolfgang Niersbach, resigned. Marco Polo del Nero of Brazil, president of the Brazilian football federation announced his resignation from FIFA Executive Committee on 26 November 2015. On 3 December 2015, FIFA vice-presidents Alfredo Hawit and Juan Angel Napout were arrested on suspicion of bribery in
5760-402: The television authorities to refrain from any slow-motion play-back which reflected, or might reflect, adversely on any decision of the referee". As recently as 2008 FIFA president Sepp Blatter said: "Let it be as it is and let's leave [football] with errors. The television companies will have the right to say [the referee] was right or wrong, but still, the referee makes the decision – a man, not
5840-622: The traditional summertime event. In 2011, former MI6 spy Christopher Steele began providing information and sources to the FBI, which helped advance the investigation. In May 2011 a whistleblower later revealed to be Phaedra Almajid who was a member of the Qatari bid team for the 2022 World Cup, claimed that money was paid to FIFA's executive committee in order to buy votes. However, she retracted these claims in July 2011, later claiming that she had been coerced into making these retractions. In May 2013, former CONCACAF executive Chuck Blazer
5920-635: The use of goal-line technology . On 28 February 2022, due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and by a recommendation by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), FIFA suspended the participation of Russia. The Russian Football Union unsuccessfully appealed the FIFA ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which upheld the ban. Some observers, while approving of the boycott of Russia, have pointed out that FIFA did not boycott Saddam Hussein's Iraq as an aggressor during
6000-472: The world. 2015 FIFA corruption case In 2015, United States federal prosecutors disclosed cases of corruption by officials and associates connected with the Fédération internationale de Football Association ( FIFA ), the governing body of association football , futsal and beach soccer . Near the end of May 2015, fourteen people were indicted in connection with an investigation by
6080-516: The world. One of its sanctions is to suspend teams and associated members from international competition when a government interferes in the running of FIFA's associate member organizations or if the associate is not functioning correctly. A 2007 FIFA ruling that a player can be registered with a maximum of three clubs and appear in official matches for a maximum of two in a year measured from 1 July to 30 June has led to controversy, especially in those countries whose seasons cross that date barrier, as in
6160-414: Was arrested (and later indicted) on bribery charges. Jack Warner and Blazer were suspended from FIFA at around the same time. Then on 17 October 2014 FIFA announced that the Garcia Report into alleged bribery during the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bids could not be released in full for legal reasons. Garcia later claimed that a summary of the report that was released misrepresents his findings. On
6240-593: Was made by the FIFA Emergency Committee after a series of allegations implicated Valcke of selling World Cup tickets for above face value. On 25 September, criminal proceedings were started against Blatter by Swiss prosecutors on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and misappropriation. Blatter denied any wrongdoing. On 8 October 2015, FIFA President Sepp Blatter, Secretary General Jerome Valcke and UEFA President Michel Platini were suspended for 80 days by FIFA's Ethics Committee. Blatter appealed
6320-429: Was part of the successful 2022 Qatari World Cup Bid, came forward as a whistle-blower. She claimed that Qatar paid $ 1.5 million to African Football Confederation president Issa Hayatou , Ivory Coast FIFA member Jacques Anouma and Nigeria's suspended official Amos Adamu to vote for Qatar; all three denied the allegations. She later stated that she had fabricated her claims for media attention. Al-Majid co-operated with
6400-553: Was scheduled to include the election of the president of FIFA . They were expected to be extradited to the United States on suspicion of receiving US$ 150 million in bribes. There was also a simultaneous raid on the CONCACAF headquarters in Miami Beach, and later, two further men handed themselves in to police for arrest: Jack Warner and marketing executive Alejandro Burzaco . Two further arrests of FIFA officials at
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