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FIFA vs. UEFA: Old corruption scandals meet the Trump factor

Sara Lindqvist6 min read
FIFA vs. UEFA: Old corruption scandals meet the Trump factor

The confrontation between the two main football governing bodies — FIFA and UEFA — has once again taken center stage amid drawn-out corruption investigations and high-profile political episodes in which Donald Trump is unexpectedly involved. The history of the 2015 "FIFA-gate" continues to influence the balance of power in world football, while the acquittal of former executives and new lawsuits threaten a fresh reputational crisis.

From "FIFA-gate" to institutional conflict

The corruption scandal dubbed "FIFA-gate" erupted in May 2015, when Swiss police, acting on a request from U.S. authorities, arrested seven high-ranking FIFA officials in Zurich. They were charged with fraud, money laundering, racketeering, and accepting more than $150 million in bribes in exchange for tournament hosting rights and media rights. In total, 14 current and former officials were under investigation, with the FBI's probe spanning nearly a quarter of a century.

The blow to FIFA's reputation was so severe that European football executives were also dragged into the epicenter of the scandal. Then-FIFA President Sepp Blatter and UEFA head Michel Platini became subjects of a separate case regarding a suspicious payment of approximately 2 million Swiss francs (about $2 million), which Blatter had transferred to Platini for work performed in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

FIFA and UEFA, formally acting as partners in global football governance, found themselves on opposite sides of an internal political conflict. In 2015, UEFA officially demanded that FIFA investigate the appearance of a compromising dossier on Platini, hinting at an attempt at political maneuvering within FIFA itself. This episode became a symbol of the "cold war" between the two organizations, which are simultaneously dependent on each other and struggling for influence in world football.

Judicial resolution: The acquittal of Blatter and Platini

The Swiss prosecutor's office accused Blatter and Platini of the 2 million franc payment being an illegal bribe linked to the distribution of power and influence within FIFA and UEFA. The prosecution argued that the contractual relationship was not properly documented and that the payment, made years later, appeared to be an attempt at hidden material inducement.

Nevertheless, in 2022, a Swiss federal court handed down an acquittal, finding that the prosecution had failed to prove the corrupt nature of the transfer. In 2025, an appellate court upheld this decision: the payment was classified as legitimate remuneration for Platini's work at FIFA between 1998 and 2002. The acquittal has become legally binding, closing one of the key cases that effectively led to the removal of Blatter and Platini from football politics.

Following his final acquittal, Platini stated that the 2015 case was fabricated to prevent him from becoming FIFA president, and he filed lawsuits in French courts accusing a number of individuals and institutions of "criminal conspiracy, false accusation, and defamation." Thus, the conflict moved from the football pitch to the realm of civil litigation and political accusations, once again raising the question: where is the line between the fight against corruption and the power struggle within football bureaucracy?

Choosing World Cup hosts: Russia, Qatar, and U.S. pressure

At the heart of "FIFA-gate" were not only payments to officials but also the processes for selecting the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. The U.S. Department of Justice accused a number of former FIFA officials of taking bribes to support the bids of Russia and Qatar. According to the investigation, they were promised or paid millions of dollars for votes in favor of these countries during the selection of World Cup hosts.

Sepp Blatter himself explained the anti-corruption campaign at FIFA as a political conflict between the U.S. and Russia, claiming that Washington was using the scandal to pressure the federation after the American bid for the 2018 World Cup failed. These statements, while not confirmed by court rulings, reflect the perception of the crisis within the football community: anti-corruption investigations are closely intertwined with geopolitical interests and the struggle for the right to host major sporting events.

Individual episodes of the investigation also concerned potential payments to high-ranking FIFA officials for supporting other countries' bids and distributing commercial rights. In total, they formed a picture of "systemic corruption," described in the U.S. Department of Justice's indictment as an elaborate scheme that had been operating for decades.

2026 World Cup, Infantino, and Trump's phone call

Against the backdrop of the "old" cases surrounding Blatter and Platini, new scandals are largely linked to current FIFA leadership under Gianni Infantino. During the preparation for the 2026 World Cup (jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico), high-profile stories emerged around the FIFA president in which Donald Trump appears once again.

According to reports by sports journalists, the former U.S. president personally called Infantino and asked him to lighten the punishment for player Folarin Balogun. This episode is described as unique: an American political leader publicly intervening in the decision of a FIFA disciplinary body, and then thanking the federation on social media for "correcting a great injustice." Formally, this incident is not classified as corruption, but it demonstrates the degree of politicization of decisions in world football and the federation's dependence on pressure from the leaders of the host country.

Against this same background, criticism of Infantino continues regarding his contacts with politicians and controversial decisions during preparations for the 2026 World Cup, including discussions about disciplinary sanctions, match distribution, and commercial contracts. While there is no talk of new criminal cases yet, political interference in FIFA's work raises questions about the transparency and independence of football institutions from national interests.

Risk of a new crisis: Where FIFA, UEFA, and politics intersect

Formally, FIFA and UEFA are currently trying to demonstrate unity and a readiness for reform. Following the 2015 scandal, anti-corruption standards were strengthened, the role of ethics committees was expanded, and procedures for selecting tournament hosts were revised. Nevertheless, a series of acquittals in high-profile cases and new political episodes, such as Trump's intervention in FIFA's decisions, fuel suspicions that the system remains vulnerable.

At the UEFA level, the question of trust in FIFA remains acute: the leadership of the European federation has argued for years that some investigations are selective and used to redistribute power in world football. Platini's lawsuits regarding "criminal conspiracy" only reinforce the rhetoric that the anti-corruption agenda can serve as a tool for political struggle within the football elite.

On the other hand, materials from the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI, as well as the admissions of a number of officials who agreed to cooperate with the investigation, demonstrate the existence of real corrupt schemes and decades of hidden financial flows within FIFA. Against this background, any new episode — from political pressure to controversial financial decisions — is automatically perceived as a potential continuation of the big cases.

The combination of unresolved political conflicts, lawsuits from former executives, the heavy influence of the U.S. as the 2026 World Cup organizer, and the strengthening of anti-corruption controls creates the groundwork for a new crisis of confidence in global football governance. At the center of this field of tension are the relations between FIFA and UEFA, the balance of global and European power, and the question: who controls the rules of the game, and how, when football turns into big business and a tool of international politics?

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