Sensational reports suggest that Qatar may have bribed FIFA with millions of dollars, to allow them to host the 2022 World Cup. The state of Qatar secretly offered $400m to Fifa just 21 days before they were awarded the 2022 World Cup, leaked files appear to show.
New allegations of corruption surrounding Qatar’s 2022 World Cup bid have come to light suggesting it offered Fifa $400m 21 days before they were offered the tournament, British national The Sunday Times reported, citing leaked files.
The documents, seen by The Sunday Times, appear to reveal that executives from the Qatari state-run broadcaster Al Jazeera made the offer in a television contract which included a $100m “success fee” that would only be paid if Qatar’s bid was successful.
The Sunday Times report said it had seen documents that read: “In the event that the 2022 competition is awarded to the state of Qatar, Al Jazeera shall, in addition to the . . . rights fee, pay to Fifa into the designated account the monetary amount of $100m.”
Fifa is set to reportedly receive a multimillion-pound payment, which includes a portion of the $100m success fee, next month under the contract’s terms. The second “installment” of $480million was supposedly paid three years later, according to the reports. That in turn, makes the overall sum involved a whopping $880 million.
According to the newspaper, this contract is now part of a bribery inquiry by Swiss police. FIFA is yet to make a comment on the latest allegations.