John Oliver Explains How FIFA Will Ruin the World Cup and Screw Brazil
The only thing that can match John Oliver's excitement about the World Cup, which begins this week in Brazil, is his disgust at FIFA, the corrupt organization that controls it.
Putting aside its perennial bribery scandals, the way FIFA does business with host countries is appalling. Here, Oliver walks you though the hundreds of millions in tax breaks, the new laws, and the new criminal courts the (nominally) nonprofit organization demands.
And things will get even worse when the World Cup heads to Qatar—under suspicion of bribery, of course—in 2022. Thousands are expected to die in the construction projects that will make it possible for a country that faces 120-degree temperatures in the summer to host the world's largest sporting event.
If you only know FIFA as "that soccer video game," this is a real eye-opener. If you were already aware of how corrupt the association is, it's still an excuse to rewatch that glorious clip of Sepp Blatter falling on his face.
