FIFA leadership with corruption, bribery, and vote-rigging related to the election of FIFA president Sepp Blatter and the organization's decision to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar, respectively. These allegations led to the indictments of nine high-ranking FIFA officials and five corporate executives by the U.S. Department of Justice on charges including racketeering, wire fraud, and money laundering. On 27 May 2015, several of these officials were arrested by Swiss authorities, who were launching a simultaneous but separate criminal investigation into how the organization awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Those among these officials who
Baku Olympic Stadium and FIFA President Sepp Blatter and UEFA President Michel Platini, prominent members of the global football community, heads of various federations, football veterans and other guests. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was informed about the future plans for the construction of the stadium. Speaking at the ceremony, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said: Ilham Aliyev placed a symbolic metal capsule inside a football. His son Heydar Aliyev, scoring a goal in a symbolic gate, dropped the ball into the foundation. The President, with Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini, operated a switch starting the concrete pour, and signed a soccer ball, which was