FIFA on World Cup bribery claim

Adidas, Sony, Visa hit FIFA on World Cup bribery claim

Big World Cup sponsors Adidas, Sony and Visa are demanding that the world soccer governing body FIFA probe corruption allegations centering on Qatar’s successful 2022 World Cup bid.

That trio of companies comprises half of FIFA’s highest sponsorship tier, accounting, according to an Agence France-Presse report, for hundreds of millions of dollars in World Cup revenues. AFP noted that it’s rare for backers to wade into the controversies that at times surround the Fédération Internationale de Football Association.

The weekend statements from Adidas ADDYY -0.84%  , Sony SNE +1.49%  and Visa V -0.47% could be a sign that sponsors fear the sport and their brands could be tainted by allegations that a Qatari football boss paid millions of dollars in bribes in 2010 to back Qatar’s surprising and controversial victory in securing the right to host 2022 World Cup.

Adidas expressed concern about the alleged Qatar incident’s impact of football’s image, according to the AFP report, while Sony said the accusations needed to be “investigated appropriately