Editing FIFA World Cup (section)

=== 2015 FIFA corruption case ===
{{Main|2015 FIFA corruption case}}

By May 2015, the games were under a particularly dark cloud because of the 2015 FIFA corruption case, allegations and criminal charges of bribery, fraud and money laundering to corrupt the issuing of media and marketing rights (rigged bids) for FIFA games,<ref>{{cite news |last=No byline |date=3 December 2015 |title=The FIFA Investigation, Explained |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/04/sports/soccer/fifa-investigation.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220102/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/04/sports/soccer/fifa-investigation.html |archive-date=2 January 2022 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |newspaper=New York Times |location=New York, NY, USA |access-date=3 December 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> with FIFA officials accused of taking bribes totaling more than $150&nbsp;million over 24 years. In late May, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a 47-count indictment with charges of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy against 14 people. Arrests of over a dozen FIFA officials were made since that time, particularly on 29 May and 3 December.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2015/05/27/football/fifa-corruption-charges-justice-department/ |title=FIFA corruption probe targets 'World Cup of fraud,' IRS chief says |last1=McLaughlin |first1=Eliott C. |last2=Botelho |first2=Greg |date=28 May 2015 |website=CNN |publisher=Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. |access-date=3 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527160034/http://edition.cnn.com/2015/05/27/football/fifa-corruption-charges-justice-department/ |archive-date=27 May 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> By the end of May 2015, a total of nine FIFA officials and five executives of sports and broadcasting markets had already been charged on corruption. At the time, FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced he would relinquish his position in February 2016.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/34991874 |title=Fifa crisis: US charges 16 more officials after earlier Zurich arrests |date=4 December 2015 |work=BBC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151203195200/https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/34991874 |archive-date=3 December 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On 4 June 2015, [[Chuck Blazer]] while co-operating with the [[FBI]] and the Swiss authorities admitted that he and the other members of FIFA's then-executive committee were bribed in order to promote the 1998 and 2010 World Cups.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/sepp-blatter/11647665/Sepp-Blatter-FBI-investigation-live.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/sepp-blatter/11647665/Sepp-Blatter-FBI-investigation-live.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Blazer: Bribes accepted for 1998 and 2010 World Cups – Telegraph |date=3 June 2015 |work=Telegraph.co.uk}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On 10 June 2015, Swiss authorities seized computer data from the offices of [[Sepp Blatter]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-33088747 "Swiss police seize IT data from Fifa headquarters", ''The BBC'', 10 June 2015]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610194510/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33088747 |date=10 June 2015 }}. Retrieved 10 June 2015</ref> The same day, FIFA postponed the bidding process for the [[2026 FIFA World Cup]] in light of the [[Garcia Report|allegations surrounding bribery]] in the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. Then-secretary general [[Jérôme Valcke]] stated, "Due to the situation, I think it's nonsense to start any bidding process for the time being."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33078284 |title=Fifa World Cup 2026 bidding process delayed |work=[[BBC Sport]] |date=10 June 2015 | access-date=10 June 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610144829/http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/33078284 | archive-date=10 June 2015 | url-status=live}}</ref> On 28 October 2015, Blatter and FIFA VP Michel Platini, a potential candidate for presidency, were suspended for 90 days; both maintained their innocence in statements made to the news media.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/blatter-platini-suspended-1.3262043 |title=Sepp Blatter, Michel Platini handed 90-day FIFA suspensions |last=Associated Press |date=8 October 2015 |website=CBC Sports |publisher=CBC/Radio Canada |access-date=3 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009040617/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/blatter-platini-suspended-1.3262043 |archive-date=9 October 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On 3 December 2015 two FIFA vice-presidents were arrested on suspicion of bribery in the same Zurich hotel where seven FIFA officials had been arrested in May.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ruiz |first=Rebecca |date=3 December 2015 |title=FIFA Corruption: Top Officials Arrested at Zurich Hotel |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/03/sports/fifa-scandal-arrests-in-switzerland.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220102/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/03/sports/fifa-scandal-arrests-in-switzerland.html |archive-date=2 January 2022 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |newspaper=New York Times |location=New York, USA |access-date=3 December 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> An additional 16 indictments by the US Department of Justice were announced on the same day.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/34991874 |title=Fifa crisis: US charges 16 more officials after earlier Zurich arrests |last=no byline |date=3 December 2015 |website=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |access-date=3 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151203195200/https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/34991874 |archive-date=3 December 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>