Domenica Scala, the independent chairman of FIFA's audit and compliance committee has stated that the hosting awards for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in Russia and Qatar, respectively, could be invalidated, according to an interview with a Swiss newspaper. Scala made the same claim in 2013, but in light of the current FIFA shitshow—with several high-ranking current and former executives party to a corruption scandal, and Sepp Blatter seemingly forced out of the presidency for the same, days after being re-elected to a fifth term—he is taking another look at the bidding process.
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To this point, the U.S.-led investigation into widespread corruption in FIFA over the last two decades—resulting in 14 arrests for charges of money-laundering, racketeering, and wire fraud—has not focused on the World Cup award process that granted Russia the 2018 tournament and, Qatar's shocking win for 2022. But an FBI source said on Friday that the bidding process would soon be "part of a probe that goes beyond the indictments."And, as we continue down the rabbit hole, it is also being reported that Morocco's 2010 bid, which was almost certainly corrupt itself, actually won the vote, but FIFA manipulated the results and awarded it to South Africa. The Sunday Times claims to have tapes that they provided to Blatter tipping him off to the scandal, but FIFA covered it up.It also appears that Jack Warner was taking money from anyone who would give it, for any reason. Warner reportedly took a $1 million bribe from Morocco and then double-crossed the bid and took an even higher bribe from South Africa. And Egypt claims he was actually working on a triple-cross.Naturally, everyone involved in every step of this denies any wrongdoing.If evidence should emerge that the awards to Qatar and Russia only came about thanks to bought votes, then the awards could be invalidated," Scala said in an interview. "This evidence has not yet been brought forth."