by Heidi Blake
9. Lionel Messi celebrates the only goal of the match in a friendly against Brazil in November 2010, just ahead of the World Cup vote.
10. Jérôme Valcke, secretary general of FIFA, greets Sheikha Mozah as she arrives in Zurich to help make the final pitch for Qatar. Her speech to the Exco impressed all who heard it.
11. Chuck Blazer sits next to Bin Hammam as Blatter reveals the winning World Cup bids – he was horrified to see the names the Qatari ticked off in his notebook during the voting.
12. Peter Hargitay, the Swiss-Hungarian lobbyist, pictured here with Jack Warner, knew exactly how to operate in FIFA’s world, but even his wiles weren’t enough to secure the World Cup for Australia.
13. Michel Platini and Issa Hayatou, two key members of the Exco, share a joke while watching the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi in December 2010.
14. Blatter reveals the news that astonished the world: Qatar had won the rights to host the 2022 World Cup.
15. Almost unnoticed, Bin Hammam congratulates the Emir after the announcement had been made. He had achieved everything he had set out to do.
16. Celebrations in Qatar after the World Cup bidding victory was announced. The Emir had finally got his ‘big cake’.
17. Blatter and Vladimir Putin together in Moscow as preparations get under way for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
18. Bin Hammam and Jack Warner together in Port of Spain in May 2011, as the Qatari tried to ensure the support of CONCACAF for his bid to overthrow Blatter as FIFA president.
19. Arriving at FIFA’s Zurich headquarters in May 2011 to try to save his career following allegations of bribery in Port of Spain, Bin Hammam finds himself outmanoeuvred.
20. Chris Eaton lectures on ‘Ethics and Integrity in Sport’ in New Delhi. The Australian had joined FIFA in 2010 as its security chief, but was recruited by Qatar to set up the International Centre for Sport Security in Doha.
21. Michael Garcia (left) and Hans-Joachim Eckert of the FIFA ethics committee shake hands, but when a summary of his report on corruption in the World Cup bidding race was published by Eckert, Garcia publicly disowned it and resigned.
1. Doha: then and now
2. In the 1950s, when Mohamed bin Hammam was a boy, Doha, the capital of Qatar, was a quiet town on the Persian Gulf. But with the development of the oil industry, it was transformed into a glittering modern city.
3. Mohamed bin Hammam, the chairman of the Qatar Football Association, Sheikh Hamad, and Sepp Blatter pose for the cameras at the Aspire Academy in February 2008. Later that day, Blatter would suggest to the Emir bringing the World Cup to Qatar.
4. Mohammed Meshadi, Jenny Be and Najeeb Chirakal, three of Bin Hammam’s most loyal aides, at the South Africa World Cup.
5. Michelle Chai, the assistant general secretary at the AFC, was another key figure in the Bin Hammam camp.
6. Bin Hammam’s daughter Aisha – many of the secretive payments made by Bin Hammam went through bank accounts in her name.
7. Bin Hammam was rarely seen publicly with members of the Qatar 2022 bid team, as officially he was supposed to be neutral. Here he is with Hassan Al-Thawadi, the bid’s chief executive, in July 2010.
8. Harold Mayne-Nicholls shakes hands with Sheikh Mohammed ahead of his inspection of the Qatari facilities in September 2010. His report would make devastating reading, but the Exco would ignore his recommendations.
9. Lionel Messi celebrates the only goal of the match in a friendly against Brazil in November 2010, just ahead of the World Cup vote.
10. Jérôme Valcke, secretary general of FIFA, greets Sheikha Mozah as she arrives in Zurich to help make the final pitch for Qatar. Her speech to the Exco impressed all who heard it.
11. Chuck Blazer sits next to Bin Hammam as Blatter reveals the winning World Cup bids – he was horrified to see the names the Qatari ticked off in his notebook during the voting.
12. Peter Hargitay, the Swiss-Hungarian lobbyist, pictured here with Jack Warner, knew exactly how to operate in FIFA’s world, but even his wiles weren’t enough to secure the World Cup for Australia.
13. Michel Platini and Issa Hayatou, two key members of the Exco, share a joke while watching the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi in December 2010.
14. Blatter reveals the news that astonished the world: Qatar had won the rights to host the 2022 World Cup.
15. Almost unnoticed, Bin Hammam congratulates the Emir after the announcement had been made. He had achieved everything he had set out to do.
16. Celebrations in Qatar after the World Cup bidding victory was announced. The Emir had finally got his ‘big cake’.
17. Blatter and Vladimir Putin together in Moscow as preparations get under way for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
18. Bin Hammam and Jack Warner together in Port of Spain in May 2011, as the Qatari tried to ensure the support of CONCACAF for his bid to overthrow Blatter as FIFA president.
19. Arriving at FIFA’s Zurich headquarters in May 2011 to try to save his career following allegations of bribery in Port of Spain, Bin Hammam finds himself outmanoeuvred.
20. Chris Eaton lectures on ‘Ethics and Integrity in Sport’ in New Delhi. The Australian had joined FIFA in 2010 as its security chief, but was recruited by Qatar to set up the International Centre for Sport Security in Doha.
21. Michael Garcia (left) and Hans-Joachim Eckert of the FIFA ethics committee shake hands, but when a summary of his report on corruption in the World Cup bidding race was published by Eckert, Garcia publicly disowned it and resigned.
Endnotes
1. Some of the associations were ineligible to take part in the ballot and only 191 votes were cast.
2. Some started at the end of May but were mostly played in June, some were both June and July and only two – the inaugural World Cup in Uruguay and 1966 in England – began and ended in July.
3. CONCACAF’s Integrity Committee Report of Investigation, 18 April 2013.
4. The Liberian FA said it ‘has never in any way found any evidence of bribery’ and that its former president, Wesley, did not influence the 2022 World Cup vote.
5. The Ivory Coast FA said the money was a charitable donation for victims of a stadium collapse.
6. When questioned about the payment, Bwalya said: ‘I don’t vote for World Cup. It’s FIFA executive who vote.’
7. Hayatou and Anouma said there was nothing wrong with their federations accepting Goal Programme funds and denied that their votes were influenced improperly in any way.
8. There is no evidence in the FIFA Files that the official Qatar 2022 committee knew about the payments Bin Hammam was making to football officials to win support for the bid.
9. John Muinjo said his federation had been in need of funds but denied that the money was ever paid.
10. Al-Majid would later retract her claims in a sworn statement, before saying she had been pressured into doing so by legal threats from Qatar 2022 and reasserting the allegations.
11. The Netherlands–Belgium bid denied offering any improper deals to voters.
12. John Muinjo denied that he ever received the money.
13. The government spend of approximately $3.55 billion was topped up with FIFA’s grant of $349 million, bringing the total cost of the tournament to around $3.9 billion.
14. Hayatou denies receiving the tickets and says he had access to as many World Cup matches as he wanted as a FIFA Exco member and didn’t need any extra seats from Bin Hammam.
15. There is no suggestion – or evidence – that Dr Chung was aware of the illicit payments by Manilal Fernando in support of his election.
16. Ganesh Thapa claimed the money was paid as part of a business arrangement he had with Kemco.
17. In a statement, PTT denied ‘that Mr Worawi Makudi, Thailand Football Association President, is involved with the LNG trade deal between PTT PLC and Qatar Liquefied Gas Company Limited (Qatargas) in exchange of supporting Mr Mohamned [sic] bin Hammam, the Qatari Football Chief, to be selected as President of
FIFA and Qatar to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022.’ Makudi said: ‘The story of oil/gas concession for me is not a true story.’
18. The details of the intelligence gathered by the England 2018 bid in this chapter are drawn from a submission of evidence from The Sunday Times which was published by the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport committee in November 2014 http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/culture-media-and-sport-committee/the-2022-world-cup-bidding-process/written/15880.html.
19. Radmann and Abold both denied that they had offered to deliver Beckenbauer’s vote in exchange for their consultancy fees, and said he had not received any portion of the money they were paid by any bid.
20. Australia categorically deny attempting to procure Franz Beckenbauer’s vote by hiring Fedor Radmann and Andreas Abold.
21. Franz Beckenbauer has always denied that his World Cup vote was improperly influenced in any way.
22. Platini described the allegation as a ‘ridiculous rumour’ which was ‘totally fictitious’.
23. A piece of land understood to have been owned by the Lefkaritis family was sold to the Qatar Investment Authority for £27 million the year after the World Cup vote. England’s intelligence suggested the amount Qatar paid far exceeded the true value of the land. Lefkaritis has strongly denied ‘any suggestion that my vote for 2022 was influenced in any way whatsoever by any commercial consideration’. He added: ‘As far as the transaction mentioned . . . is concerned, please be informed that all related information is fully transparent and available for inspection through the District Land Registry in Cyprus, the Registrar of Companies in Cyprus and the Cyprus authorities in general.’
24. Gorka Villar became the legal director of Conmebol in 2011 and was appointed its general director in 2014. There is no suggestion that he was involved in any wrongdoing.
25. France Football magazine reported that Sheikh Hamad had met Nicolas Leoz secretly to discuss the World Cup on the visit to Asuncion.
26. Platini has acknowledged that he came under pressure to vote for Qatar from the French president, but denies strongly that commercial considerations played any part.
27. This allegation was published by the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee in May 2011.
28. This allegation was published by the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee in May 2011.
29. Teixeira has always denied that his World Cup vote was ever improperly influenced.
30. Eaton denies that the prospect of employment had arisen during his November 2010 visit to Qatar.
31. All three denied wrongdoing. Hayatou said the payment was for CAF. Leoz said he had given it to a school eight years after receiving it.
32. Nicholas Musonye said the sponsorship was legitimate and was unrelated to the World Cup vote.
33. These quotes and interpretations are based on extensive conversations with confidential sources within Mohamed bin Hammam’s inner circle of aides and advisors.
34. The money was repaid to the AFC from one of Bin Hammam’s Kemco accounts shortly after it was withdrawn by Meshadi.
35. Qatar and Spain continue to deny that any such collusion deal took place.
36. Hayatou denied discussing a meeting between the president of Cameroon and the Emir with Bin Hammam.
37. There is no suggestion of any impropriety by Kris Peeters, Besix or any of the BSTC companies.
38. Eaton said that the framing never took place and that he had given the envelope to Hassan Al-Thawadi, rather than the Emir.
39. Thapa insisted Qatar had only paid $200,000 in ‘financial support’ for a developing country and said the money had ‘no connection whatsoever with the voting process for Mohamed bin Hammam’. He was suspended from his position as president of the Nepal FA after the payment was exposed by The Sunday Times and is currently under investigation after the country’s Public Accounts Committee accused him of embezzling 582 million rupees (about $6 million) during his 19-year tenure in the office. Thapa maintains his innocence.
40. Makudi said he understood the money was for a new technical centre for the Laos FA. He did not explain why it was paid directly to Sihachakr.
41. Netzle said he was entirely unaware that intelligence about Blatter’s alleged use of FIFA resources was being gathered covertly by Naduhl.
42. Al-Majid has subsequently chosen to reveal her identity as the whistleblower.
43. A spokesman for FIFA said the organisation had ‘verified internally’ that no such deal had been made, but Sepp Blatter declined to respond to questions personally. The Qatar 2022 supreme committee did not reply to the allegation.
44. Qatar said that although Al-Majid had withdrawn her allegations, she had been given a ‘full and fair’ opportunity to repeat them later to FIFA’s investigators and that they had been ‘tested, considered and dismissed’.
45. ER Capital Holdings confirmed that Beckenbauer worked for the firm as a ‘consultant and ambassador’ from April 2011 until March 2014 but said ‘no contract resulted with any of the interested parties’ from its trip to Doha and ‘Mohammed bin Hammam was not present at these talks.’
46. Centaur media estimated the ‘Plot to Buy the World Cup’ story had reached a potential global audience of 1.3 billion people.
