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Come Fan with UsTuesday, August 4, 2026

Hey, America? FIFA wants its money back.

Please, Loretta Lynch? We promise we won’t do corruption with it.

Michael Steele/Getty Images

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The U.S. Department of Justice has charged dozens of people in conjunction with their investigation into corruption in soccer, alleging that they collectively acquired tens of millions of dollars by illegal means. FIFA and their member associations are ostensibly the ones who were defrauded of this money, so they’d like their money back.

FIFA will, until its dying breath, assert that they were the victims of corruption in soccer, not the cause. “They caused serious and lasting damage to FIFA, its member associations and the football community,” said new president Gianni Infantino. “The monies they pocketed belonged to global football and were meant for the development and promotion of the game. FIFA as the world governing body of football wants that money back and we are determined to get it no matter how long it takes.”

If they got that money back and used it to develop youth and women’s soccer, that would be great. But they’ll have a hard time convincing the DOJ that’s where the money would go -- or that they were victimized in the first place.

Goal of the day

There was nothing good on Tuesday, so here’s Marco van Basten’s header against Real Madrid.

In the news

The Italian FA isn’t thrilled with Antonio Conte. (ESPN FC)

Ashley Young could return for Manchester United on Thursday. (Guardian)

Even if Karim Benzema makes it to Euro 2016, he won’t have a Panini sticker. (AS)

Aston Villa sacked their sporting director a few months too late. (Telegraph)

Here’s a former player denying that he performs in adult films. (Mirror)

MLS is testing video replay. (SI)

You should be reading

Gabriele Marcotti on how this whole FIFA asking for their money back thing might work out. (ESPN FC)

Callum Hamilton on Olivier Giroud as a symbol for what Arsenal is as a whole. (Vice)

Blair Newman on Leonardo Bonucci’s importance to Juventus. (Tactical Calcio)

What happened on Tuesday

Manchester City and Dynamo Kiev played the worst game ever.

Atléti-PSV was scoreless, but way better.

What to watch on Wednesday (all times ET, click for listings)

Champions League: 2 games (3:45 p.m.) -- Watch Juve-Bayern. Spare yourselves, Arsenal fans.

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