FIFA has admitted for the first time that World Cup voting was rigged in the past.
In legal papers filed in New York, FIFA is attempting to recover bribes and stolen money from 41 ex-officials and marketing executives including Jack Warner and Jeffrey Webb, who have both served as FIFA vice president and CONCACAF president, and Chuck Blazer, the former CONCACAF general secretary.
The legal papers also reveal FIFA believes South Africa paid a bribe of $10m to rig World Cup votes and win the right to host the 2010 World Cup.
New FIFA president Gianni Infantino commented: “The defendants diverted this money not just from FIFA but from players, coaches and fans worldwide who benefit from the programmes that FIFA runs to develop and promote football.