Chuck Blazer, the man who made millions promoting international soccer before becoming a key figure in a worldwide corruption case, has died at age 72, according to his lawyer.
Blazer — a longtime FIFA executive and leader for CONCACAF, the North American, Central American, and Caribbean soccer alliance — amassed a fortune as he turned Major League Soccer into a booming business in the US and its national team into a World Cup mainstay. In 2015, he was banned from FIFA permanently as a corruption scandal unfolded across world soccer's leaders.
"His misconduct, for which he accepted full responsibility, should not obscure Chuck's positive impact on international soccer," his attorney Mary Mulligan said in a statement.