A Long-Awaited Reboot: The FIFA Scandal and its Repercussions for Football’s Governing Body

Abstract

On May 21, 2015, Swiss authorities raided the annual congressional meeting of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, ultimately arresting seven FIFA executives on charges of corruption. The product of a three-year Federal Bureau of Investigation case, the Swiss raid and accompanying Department of Justice indictment was the first step in addressing what authorities describe as enduring and systemic corruption within football’s governing body. In addition to casting a shadow over the world’s most beloved sport, the FIFA scandal highlighted the international organization’s lack of accountability and, most notably, its dire need for change. Although the February 2016 reform package addressed many of FIFA’s problems, more must be done to ensure that history does not repeat itself.