Inside Story

Selling World Cup votes

We ask whether Fifa should review its voting process to avoid bribery and vote-rigging.

Fifa, football’s world governing body, has launched an investigation into British newspaper allegations that two members of its executive committee offered to sell their votes in support a country bidding to host the 2018 World Cup.

An undercover reporter from the British Sunday Times posed as a lobbyist for the US bid. He met with Amos Adamu, the president of the West African Football Union, who appeared to offer his vote in return for $800,000 to build football pitches in Nigeria.

The paper also alleges Reynald Temarii, a French Fifa vice-president, and the president of the Oceania football confederation, asked for a payment of $2.3m  to finance a sports academy.

Such deals are strictly forbidden under Fifa’s regulations, but the newspaper said six senior Fifa officials, past and present, had told the undercover reporters that paying bribes offered their best chance at securing their bid.

Sepp Blatter, Fifa’s president, has admitted bribery allegations have damaged Fifa’s name and reputation.

Should Fifa review its voting process to avoid bribery, or replace its committee members to restore its integrity?

Joining the programme are Andrew Warshaw, the chief reporter for Inside World Football, an online publication looking at the business side of the game, Ashraf Garda, a radio host and sports journalist, and Osama Khalil, the former captain of the Egyptian national football team and the country’s first ever professional footballer. 

This episode of Inside Story aired from Monday, October 18, 2010.