FIFA Corruption Scandal (2015)

The FIFA Corruption Scandal of 2015 remains the most sprawling corruption case in sports history. The US Department of Justice indicted 14 FIFA officials on charges including racketeering and money laundering, tied to over $150 million in bribes over 24 years. This scandal implicated the awarding of World Cups to Russia (2018) and Qatar (2022), with the latter facing allegations of bribery and modern slavery in stadium construction that led to thousands of migrant worker deaths. The decision to move the tournament to winter further highlighted the extent of the corruption. In terms of financial scope and institutional damage, this scandal far exceeds the misconduct of the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal (ranked #6), whose scheme involved no bribes and a fraction of the moral cost.