North Africa international media market. On 30 October 2020, Nasser Al-Khelaifi was cleared of the case over the awarding of television rights for the World Cup. Al-Khelaifi had been accused of aggravated criminal mismanagement for his alleged part in a corruption trial involving former FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke. However, Valcke was found guilty of forging documents related to television rights for the World Cup and was fined 24,000 Swiss francs ($26,500). According to the Swiss attorney general’s office, alleged that Valcke exploited his FIFA role between 2013 and 2015 to favour media partners that he preferred by providing the media rights for various World Cup and Confederations Cup tournaments. Political career In November 2013, Al-Khelaifi was made minister without portfolio in the Qatari government by the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim. Legal proceedings On 9 March 2022, after Paris Saint-Germain's 1–3 away loss (2–3 aggregate score) to Real Madrid in the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League round of 16, Al-Khelaifi allegedly assaulted a linesman and broke his flag and threatened a Madrid employee with murder. Following investigation, UEFA cleared Al-Khelaifi of all charges related to the match. Awards and honors In February 2012, he won a French 'Sport Business' award, receiving the most votes out of 1,500 and finishing ahead of nine people. His growing influence in the sport was recognised in 2015 when he was voted 'favourite Ligue 1 president' in a poll conducted by France Football, with 35% of the votes cast. In 2016, the French daily sport newspaper L'Équipe named him the 'most powerful man in French football' in a 30-man list, ahead of such notable individuals as Didier Deschamps and Zinedine Zidane. In 2019, he was elected by the European Club Association as delegate at the UEFA executive committee, becoming the first Arab to hold an UEFA position. In 2020, he was named the most influential person in football by France Football. In March 2020, Al-Khelaifi was praised by World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus after offering to help in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic by using his players and club to send health advice messages to the public. Personal life He is close to the Emir, Sheikh Tamim, head of sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority. He is married, and has four children who reside in Qatar. References 1973 births Living people Qatari male tennis players Tennis players at the 2002 Asian