FIFA faces criminal risk over payments to Russian clubs

While FIFA maintains that paying clubs for releasing players is a routine part of World Cup preparations, the organisation now faces allegations that it funneled money to Russische clubs in breach of sanctions, a claim that could trigger criminal prosecution. FIFA traditionally compensates clubs when their contracted players are released for the WK and WK's, a practice intended to offset the loss of talent during the tournament. The payments are meant to cover the period of the competition, from the group stage through the final. Follow the Money’s investigation , for the WK 2022 in Qatar, FIFA transferred more than one million euros to several Russische clubs to secure the release of their players. The investigation also identified payments to the Russen clubs. The same pattern appears for the upcoming WK 2026, with funds earmarked for Russian clubs again.

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Zenit St Petersburg, Dynamo Moscow, CSKA Moscow, Rubin Kazan and Lokomotiv Moscow together received the bulk of the money, while FK Krasnodar was the only club whose payment could be considered legitimate. All these clubs are owned or sponsored by entities listed on the international sanctions list, making the transfers suspect. Sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine prohibit financial dealings with such entities, and FIFA is subject to both United States sanctions legislation and European regulations, with its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. De FIFA headquarters in Zurich are therefore bound by the rules. The Swiss sanctions authority SECO confirmed to Follow the Money that these payments are illegal, without commenting on the specific case.

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Both the American sanctions authority and FIFA declined to comment on the allegations, leaving the matter unresolved. Consequently, FIFA now risks a criminal prosecution under the applicable sanction laws. The contrast between FIFA’s stated role of supporting global tournaments and the alleged illegal payments underscores a growing tension between football governance and international law. It highlights how compliance failures could jeopardise the organisation’s credibility and expose it to legal action.