World Cup
FIFA’s Russian payments risk sanction breach after Qatar World Cup
FIFA has breached sanction laws by paying Russian clubs during the previous World Cup in Qatar, a finding of the Follow the Money investigation, which reveals payments totalling over one million euros to clubs such as Zenit St Petersburg and Dinamo Moscow.
Clubs receive compensation from FIFA for releasing players for the World Cup, and Follow the Money’s review of the federation’s financial reporting uncovered payments to Russian clubs that have ties to sanctioned individuals or companies.
The clubs Zenit St Petersburg, Dinamo Moscow, CSKA Moscow, Rubin Kazan and Lokomotiv Moscow together received more than one million euros, while a payment to Krasnodar did not breach sanctions.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, sanctions have been imposed; FIFA falls under U.S. sanction law because the World Cup was hosted in the United States, it also has sponsor deals and offices in Trump Tower, New York and Miami, and European law applies through its headquarters in Zurich.
Swiss sanction authority SECO says the payments are illegal; the U.S. authority and FIFA declined to comment on the matter.
FIFA also continues to receive the fixed annual contribution it pays to Russian football federations, and money is already earmarked for Russia after the 2026 World Cup.
In a separate dispute, West Ham United and CSKA Moscow clashed over a payment for Nikola Vlasic; FIFA exerted pressure on West Ham and backed CSKA’s “proactive solutions,” which the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled were illegal attempts to evade sanctions.
Heleen Over de Linden, a lawyer and Russia expert, warned: "The breach of sanctions is a form of international organized crime and can be punished with up to six years imprisonment."
The contrast between FIFA’s global governance role and the alleged sanction violations underscores a serious legal exposure that could prompt further scrutiny and possible prosecution.