Another twist in the FIFA corruption scandal revealed the FBI is investigating the controversial ...

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Gordon Brunt

News Editor

<p>Another twist in the FIFA corruption scandal revealed the FBI is investigating the controversial awarding of the next two World Cups.</p><p>Believed to have initially been excluded from their investigation, the United States intelligence and security service is scrutinizing the bidding process in which Russia and Qatar were controversially awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively, <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/soccer/20150603_Reuters_L1N0YP1HG_FBI_probe_includes_2018__2022_World_Cup_host_awards__U_S__official.html">Reuters' Mark Hoseball reports</a>.</p><p>Swiss authorities were believed to be the only party involved in scrutinizing the 2010 bidding process following last week's arrests when several top FIFA officials were apprehended at a luxury hotel in Zurich.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>But now it appears the FBI have included the controversial bidding process among their initial allegations of corruption against the world football governing body, a source revealed.</p><p>Even though Sepp Blatter, who announced his plans to resign as FIFA president Tuesday following his re-election victory just days earlier, was not included in the initial wave of indictments, <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/fifa-president-sepp-blatter-announces-resignation/story?id=31473282#.VW300gsPTzd.twitter">ABC reported</a> the FBI is investigating the 79-year-old as part of their corruption probe.</p>

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This is not a drill.  Sepp Blatter, for 17 years the impregnable Teflon president of football's d...

<p>This is not a drill.</p><p>Sepp Blatter, for 17 years the impregnable Teflon president of football's diseased, corrupt governing body, announced Tuesday at a hastily called press conference in Zurich that <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/773918" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/773918">he is resigning as kingpin of FIFA</a>.</p><p>The earth-shattering revelation came as the organization continues to be mired in a sprawling corruption crisis - one which has already seen a <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/771012" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/771012">series of indictments leveled against top FIFA officials</a>, and continued Monday to inch closer to the Swiss chief himself with the implication that his top lieutenant was directly responsible for issuing $10 million worth of bribes.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Sepp Blatter is gone, and the world, after recovering from the initial shock, has had its say.</p><p>Here's everything you need to know about Blatter's decision to announce his resignation.</p><h3>Need to know</h3><ul><li>Blatter, 79, claimed in his resignation speech that his decision was born of his desire "to do the best for FIFA and my institution." You can <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/773941" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/773941">read the farewell in its entirety here</a>.</li></ul><ul><li>Following the astonishing revelation, ABC reported that Blatter's situation could be on the verge of worsening, as they cited unnamed sources who claim that the Swiss is <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/773986" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/773986">being investigated by the FBI</a> in relation to last week's sweeping corruption charges. Blatter has, thus far, avoided the indictments.</li></ul><ul><li>Reports now suggest that the FBI is indeed <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/774490" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/774490">investigating the bidding process</a> that led to Russia and Qatar winning the rights to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Previously, only Swiss authorities had confirmed their intention to examine the bidding process.</li></ul><ul><li>Why is that investigation beginning now? It may have something to do with the guilty-plea testimony from former FIFA executive Chuck Blazer, which was published Wednesday and contained an admittance from Blazer that he, and others, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/774612" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/774612">accepted bribe money in exchange for World Cup votes</a> (including the 1998 and 2010 tournaments).</li></ul><ul><li>How, exactly, did we arrive at this point? <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/774070" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/774070">Here's a timeline of key events</a> throughout Blatter's 17-year reign as president of football's governing body.</li></ul><figure><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CGhIdZfUIAEQMMs.jpg"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><p>(Courtesy: <a href="https://twitter.com/AFPphoto/status/605789326866149376">Agence France-Presse</a>)</p><ul><li>Naturally, the glaring question on the minds of many is now a simple one: who will assume the presidency of FIFA in Blatter's stead? <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/774152" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/774152">Here are some of the candidates</a>.</li></ul><ul><li>One of those men, former FIFA vice-president Prince Ali bin al-Hussein - who was defeated by Blatter in Friday's election - <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/773952" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/773952">will reportedly enter the race for the governing body's top position</a>. The election is expected to take place between December and March 2016.</li></ul><ul><li>The reaction in the immediate aftermath of Blatter's unforeseen announcement hit the sporting world like a tidal wave. We run down some of the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/773937" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/773937">best responses Twitter had to offer</a>.</li></ul><ul><li>Of course, a number of noteworthy football officials also opined on the matter, with everyone from <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/774084" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/774084">Michel Platini and Sunil Gulati</a> to <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/774139" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/774139">Blatter's daughter</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/773983" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/773983">FA chairman Greg Dyke</a>.</li></ul><ul><li>Dyke, in particular, touched on the 2022 World Cup, which was controversially awarded to Qatar. After his proclamation that organizers of that event should be very concerned over its status, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/774143" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/774143">fired back in a big way</a>.</li></ul><ul><li>
<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/774053" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/774053">FIFA's marquee sponsors</a>, including Coca-Cola and Adidas, have also released statements on Blatter's resignation.</li></ul><h3>Further Reading/Viewing</h3><ul><li>Why now, Sepp? Rob Harris examines the possible reasons behind Blatter's swift, unforeseen departure from the throne. [<a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/urn:publicid:ap.org:013d20a9b2bc4ace943cf1661eddc4f6">Associated Press</a>]</li></ul><ul><li>Brian Phillips had his say on the resignation. You should read it because, simply, it's Brian Phillips. [<a href="http://grantland.com/the-triangle/sepp-blatter-fifa-resigns/">Grantland</a>]</li></ul><ul><li>Will Blatter's resignation result in real, palpable change? David Goldblatt is skeptical, writing the following: "The world’s national football associations, many of whose senior executives are enmeshed in the widening web of corruption and bribery, and few of which are accountable to anyone or anything, remain the kingmakers. We would be wise not to expect too much of them. If Prince Ali, decent, polite man that he is, is the best figurehead that reformers within the football world can come up with then this glorious regicide is unlikely to be followed by real change." [<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jun/02/sepp-blatter-resignation-fifa-reform?CMP=share_btn_tw">The Guardian</a>]</li></ul><figure><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/115965/cropped_REU_2239100.jpg?ts=1433261266"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><ul><li>In a similar vein, Philippe Auclair and Tim Vickery claim that the end of Blatter's reign is far from the end of the governing body's problems. [<a data-in-app-uri="" href="">SoundCloud</a>]</li></ul><ul><li>What's next for FIFA? Gabriele Marcotti, echoing the words of Blatter in his resignation speech, says the decrepit organization is in desperate need of "profound overhaul." [<a href="http://www.espnfc.us/fifa-world-cup/4/blog/post/2476732/fifa-reform-begins-as-sepp-blatter-resigns-but-whats-next">ESPN FC</a>]</li></ul><ul><li>Marcotti, doing double-duty, also examined some of the lingering questions that remain in light of Blatter's decision to step aside. [<a href="http://www.espnfc.us/fifa-world-cup/4/blog/post/2477516/sepp-blatter-resignation-explained-and-what-happens-next">ESPN FC</a>]</li></ul><ul><li>Dan Wetzel turns his attention to the 2022 World Cup, and opines that FIFA's first course of action in the post-Blatter era should be to strip Qatar of the tournament. [<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/with-sepp-blatter-out--fifa-should-start-by-stripping-qatar-of-2022-world-cup-184044305.html">Yahoo! Sports</a>]</li></ul><ul><li>The United States Department of Justice may ultimately be credited with facilitating Blatter's takedown, but in a fascinating, highly-recommended piece, Michael E. Miller tells the story of "curmudgeonly" journalist Andrew Jennings, who set this investigation into motion. [<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/06/03/how-a-curmudgeonly-old-reporter-exposed-the-fifa-scandal-that-toppled-sepp-blatter/">Washington Post</a>]</li></ul><h3>Top Tweets</h3><figure><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">"Have a nice day": parting words from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Fifa?src=hash">#Fifa</a> PR at end of conference during which Blatter resigned. Football certainly having a nice day now.</p>— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) <a href="https://twitter.com/henrywinter/status/605781318572466177">June 2, 2015</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thank goodness ! At last FIFA and Blatter get the message. A great day for football.</p>— Ian Darke (@IanDarke) <a href="https://twitter.com/IanDarke/status/605780065595461632">June 2, 2015</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">For the displaced in Brazil, the dead migrant workers in Qatar, and the Palestinian soccer stars in chains, GOOD RIDDANCE Sepp Blatter!</p>— Dave Zirin (@EdgeofSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/EdgeofSports/status/605781291821207553">June 2, 2015</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Blatter to Swiss TV on Friday: "Why would I step down? That would mean I recognise that I did wrong."</p>— Ben Rumsby (@ben_rumsby) <a href="https://twitter.com/ben_rumsby/status/605783324502585347">June 2, 2015</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Great day for world soccer. But can FIFA be trusted to vote in a legitimate reformer to replace Blatter? The structure itself is rotten.</p>— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrantWahl/status/605778482639953920">June 2, 2015</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">It's tremendous that Blatter is out. But Blatter isn't the end of FIFA's problems. Change won't happen unless people keep paying attention.</p>— Brian Phillips (@runofplay) <a href="https://twitter.com/runofplay/status/605783833229721601">June 2, 2015</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Change is finally coming. Let’s find a solution to start a new era of transparency and democracy in FIFA. <a href="http://t.co/XXYt1NfooH">http://t.co/XXYt1NfooH</a></p>— Luís Figo (@LuisFigo) <a href="https://twitter.com/LuisFigo/status/605806570392289281">June 2, 2015</a>
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Report: FBI probe includes investigation into 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process

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