Visa threatens to be first FIFA sponsor to cut ties

World Today

Federal agents carry out boxes of evidence taken from the headquarters of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF,) Wednesday, May 27, 2015, in Miami Beach, Fla. Swiss prosecutors opened criminal proceedings into FIFA’s awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, only hours after seven soccer officials were arrested Wednesday pending extradition to the U.S. in a separate probe of “rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted” corruption. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Worried that their reputations will be tarnished by their links to FIFA, major sponsors are demanding that soccer’s global governing body clean up its act, with Visa even warning it is prepared to sever ties.

Coca-Cola also made it clear it is unhappy with the scandals rocking the organization, which held an emergency meeting Thursday chaired by FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

The meeting comes a day after seven officials were arrested in a dawn raid at a luxury hotel in Zurich and Swiss prosecutors opened criminal proceedings into FIFA’s awarding of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar.

Visa provided the most acute criticism of FIFA, saying it expects the organization to take “swift and immediate steps to address” its issues.

For most of the corporations involved with FIFA, their association with the world soccer governing body is extraordinarily lucrative, so any decision to bring that to an end won’t be taken lightly.

Corporations have quickly become more vocal about the problems afflicting the organization. Just last week, Adidas, Coca-Cola, and Visa urged FIFA to push Qatar to improve conditions for migrant workers as the small Arabian Gulf country prepares to host the 2022 World Cup.

Source includes the AP and CCTV America


FIFA expenditure between 2011-2014

This chart represents the total expenditure by FIFA between 2011-2014. Source: FIFA Annual Report 2014. Each category includes the following:

  • Football governance: Committees and Congresses and Legal matters.
  • Financial expenses: Foreign currency loss, interest expenses, loss from financial assets
  • Other expenses: Personnel, communications, buildings and maintenance, taxes and duties, depreciation and other expenses
  • Development-related expenses: Financial assistance and miscellaneous programs.
  • Event-related expenses: 2014 FIFA World Cup expenses, FIFA Club Protection Programme and other FIFA events

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UEFA weighs withdrawing from FIFA amid corruption scandal

A day after U.S. authorities indicted 14 FIFA executives on corruption charges, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) announced it may withdraw its FIFA membership if FIFA President Sepp Blatter wins a fifth term during Friday's election. Blatter rejected calls to resign, saying he cannot be held responsible for the scandal. CCTV's Guy Henderson filed this report from the Swiss capital of Zurich.

Follow Guy Henderson on Twitter @guyhendersonsa


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FIFA Sponsors ponder World Cup future following scandal

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Follow Owen Fairclough on Twitter @cloughieDC


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CCTV America's Phillip Yin interviewed Wes Harris for more on the aftermath of the FIFA corruption scandal. Harris is the Managing Editor at Business of Soccer.