Hackers May Have Tampered With 2018, 2022 World Cup Bids

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Matt Liebowitz, SecurityNewsDaily Staff Writer


http://i.imgur.com/bm2VY.jpg

The FBI is reportedly looking into allegations that hackers may have helped rig the bids to host the 2018 and 2022 soccer FIFA World Cup tournaments.

According to the London newspaper The Telegraph, FBI officials have "substantial evidence" that outside organizations tried to hack the email accounts of members of the English organizing committee bidding to host the 2018 tournament. England eventually lost out to Russia when the winning bids were announced a year ago.

The FBI probe reportedly is looking into similar claims that hackers tampered with the simultaneous U.S. bid to host the 2022 event, which went to the tiny oil-rich Persian Gulf state of Qatar.

FIFA, the French acronym for International Federation of Association Football, is the worldwide governing body for matches played among national soccer teams. Despite the amateur roots of FIFA matches, the players on the top teams almost all also play for professional teams and each World Cup generates billions of dollars in income for the host country and for FIFA itself.

The FBI refused to comment to SecurityNewsDaily.

Over the past month in London, the FBI asked members of the England 2018 organizing committee specific questions related to the activities of their Russian counterparts, The Telegraph said.

The Russia 2018 organizing committee said it was unaware of any investigation, and that it had conducted its bidding fairly and transparently.

"We at Russia 2018 are proud of the way we conducted ourselves throughout a long and highly competitive campaign," the Russian organizing committee said, according to The Telegraph. "As an LOC [local organizing committee], we are driven by exactly the same transparency, commitment to excellence and spirit of fair play that underpinned our successful bid."

Also part of the FBI investigation, according to the Telegraph, is the alleged bribery of Caribbean soccer officials by Mohammed Bin Hammam, a Qatari who earlier this year was banned for life from all FIFA activities. It's believed bin Hammam offered bribes in exchange for votes in his campaign to replace current FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

Qatar won the 2022 hosting gig over bids from Australia, Japan, South Korea and the U.S.

[Arkady Renko]

"We at Russia 2018 are proud of the way we conducted ourselves throughout a long and highly competitive campaign," the Russian organizing committee said, according to The Telegraph. "As an LOC [local organizing committee], we are driven by exactly the same transparency, commitment to excellence and spirit of fair play that underpinned our successful bid."

hilarious!

[redred]

and what difference is it going to make now? they won't move it

[Teh One Who Knocks]

If there is undeniable proof, you would hope that FIFA would do the right thing, but I suppose I have a better chance of winning the lottery than having that happen. FIFA is so corrupt that it would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

[Arkady Renko]

I'm fairly sure we'll see the 2018 tournament take place in russia unless there's some dramatic disruption such as civil war there. The FIFA officials know full well that the Putin crew will come after them with all they have if they somehow nix the decision. As far as 2022 in Qatar is concerned, I'm not so sure. seems to me a lot of FIFA officials supported their bid because they assumed that Bin Hammam would succede Blatter and therefore it would be wise to be in his good books. And of course they were looking forward to being drowned in bribes. But now that Bin Hammam has fallen from grace there's a good chance some key figures made up their minds and will support a new vote.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

It really blew my mind when the US lost to Qatar in the final round of the vote for the 2022 WC. I mean come on, the last time it was held in the US it was a huge success and we already have the infrastructure in place. Not to mention the fact that we have more huge sports stadiums than any other country in the world. Qatar has nothing.

Plus, if you were a player, would you want to be playing a match in 120° heat under a blazing sun?

[Arkady Renko]

it was obvious from the get go that the actual quality of the bids didn't matter much if at all. But if you look at the past, most of the time the bid whose backers paid the best bribes won, and a few times that happened to be the best bid by coincidence. Or at least a decent bid. That probably created a false sense of "we're untouchable" so they didn't even shun away from voting for a completely absurd bid (Qatar) and a second or third rate bid (russia).