The Indictments

The Indictments

Author: iHeartPodcasts June 30, 2022 Duration: 37:20

In December 2010, FIFA President Sepp Blatter, surrounded by celebrities and politicians from around the globe, announced that Russia and Qatar would host the next two World Cup tournaments. The news shook the world. The choice of two authoritarian regimes, with troubling human rights records and little if any soccer infrastructure, set off alarm bells. How could this happen? Among those asking the question, federal agents in the United States who decided to take a closer look at soccer’s governing body.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


There's a shadow that stretches across the beautiful game, cast by the powerful figures operating in its highest echelons. Lords of Soccer, from iHeartPodcasts, pulls back the curtain on FIFA, the enigmatic organization that governs global soccer and commands the World Cup. This isn't just a sports podcast; it's a deep dive into a world where immense passion collides with staggering wealth and hidden power. Each episode explores how a sport played by hundreds of millions in every corner of the planet is controlled by a relatively small group of elite businessmen. We follow the money, the politics, and the backroom deals that have shaped modern soccer's biggest events. The narrative weaves together the thrill of competition with the grim realities of corruption and scandal, examining the true cost of the world's most-watched spectacle. You'll hear about the billions in revenue, the global obsession, and the ugly truths that fester behind the glamour. This series connects the dots between the pitch and the boardroom, offering a compelling look at the complex, and often dark, machinery that runs the sport. Tune in for a gripping blend of sports history and true crime investigation, all centered on the beautiful game's most controversial rulers.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 13

Lords of Soccer
Podcast Episodes
Qatar 2022 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:46
How did this small, Middle Eastern autocracy, with no international soccer pedigree or modern stadium infrastructure, land the ultimate international sporting competition: the 2022 FIFA World Cup? Money. Lots of money.Se…
Equal Footing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:35
Today’s episode is all about hope. The stunning success of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team offered FIFA a roadmap to a better way of doing business, one that promised soaring profits while embracing the organizatio…
White Elephants [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:26
FIFA’s appalling behavior in Chile and Argentina is ancient history…right? You’d think world soccer’s governing body would have learned its lessons and modernized by 2014, but you’d be wrong. In the soccer-mad nation of…
The World Cup of Shame, Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:10
After spending millions of dollars they didn’t have to build World Cup infrastructure, and disappearing anyone opposed to their lavish plans, Argentina’s military junta turns its eyes on an even bigger prize – a World Cu…
The World Cup of Shame, Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:24
In 1978, FIFA faced a simple choice: Play the World Cup in a nation ruled by a brutal military dictatorship, or move the tournament to a country that better represented the global values of fair play at the heart of FIFA…
See No Evil [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:23
In this episode, you’ll hear how the Lords of Soccer abused their positions to prop up and promote a violent dictatorship in Chile, all in the name of profit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Era of Gold [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:20
The slow march toward corruption continues… When Brazilian businessman João Havelange took control of FIFA in 1974 it was still a modest operation, with six permanent staff and virtually nothing in the bank. By the time…
The Colonialist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:26
An organization like FIFA does not become corrupt overnight. So how did it happen? Well, long before FIFA became stuff of criminal lore, soccer’s governing body was simply known to be racist and morally corrupt. From sup…
The Fall of Sepp [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:47
The most powerful man in world sports. The king of international soccer. FIFA President Sepp Blatter commanded the attention of global superstars and political leaders alike during his 17-year reign. He had also survived…
The Raid [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:20
The five-star Baur-Au-Lac Hotel in Zurich, Switzerland caters to the world’s elite. Among its regular patrons, members of FIFA, which has its headquarters nearby. In May of 2015, just as the sun rose over bucolic Lake Zu…