Keep in mind that these are powerful men that aren’t about to give up their influence without a fight. Alleged isn’t convicted and just because these arrests happened today doesn’t mean FIFA is suddenly going to turn into a transparent and hyper-ethical organization.
We all know what happens when you cut off the head of a cockroach, right?
FIFA is already on record saying that the presidential election will continue as scheduled. No matter how much Price Ali protests Sepp Blatter is still going to win (as an aside, CSN has been told that the CSA plans to vote for Prince Ali, although it has not been confirmed). If Blatter wins, it’s evidence that it’s still business as usual in the murky world of FIFA politics – they might just have to be less (allegedly) brazen about it.
Additionally, FIFA has said the 2018 and 2022 votes will not be re-opened.
Although Switzerland has opened an investigation in the 2018/22 bids, it seems unlikely that they will be pulled at this point. The politics of re-assigning them would likely be nearly as ugly (and the idea the USA is getting 2022 now seems a tad…naïve).
However, what today might signal is the start of the end, if not the end itself. By targeting Webb, the race to take over from Blatter (who will eventually retire) just became wide open. Additionally, the dynamic for the 2026 World Cup bid – a bid Canada is involved in – may have changed.
The possibility of a true reformer to win the 2019 election is real – although it’s more likely that a moderate candidate like the IOC’s Thomas Bach will emerge. And, for what it’s worth, there’s been worse IOC presidents than Bach.
As for the 2026 World Cup bid, that’s a bit less likely to change. The decision on the host is in just two years. Blatter will very likely still be in charge. The dynamic of FIFA politics unlikely to have changed.
It’s probably too much to suggest that American involvement in today’s arrests just handed Canada the 2026 World Cup.
Probably. But, you could make the argument it helped. Winning because the Americans did the heavy lifting (and paid the political price for doing so) to take down FIFA while we sat back and played the political long game is not exactly part of the squeaky clean Canada narrative, but…
The impact of Traffic Sport possibly being taken down is harder to nail down. Traffic is thought to have significant involvement in the NASL (and the NASL is widely thought to be key to Canada’s effort to start its own league), but the NASL plays down Traffic involvement.
So, it’s a bit of a mess and it’s going to get messier.
Same as it always was…