The world governing body of football, Fifa, is facing an unprecedented crisis on the eve of its congress in Zurich after Swiss authorities arrested a string of officials on corruption charges and opened criminal proceedings over the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. 
 
 More than a dozen plainclothed officers descended on the five-star Baur au Lac hotel on Wednesday, where officials had gathered for Fifa’s annual meeting. 
 
 Fifa corruption crisis: the key figures in the controversy Read more 
 
 The arrests were made on behalf of US authorities, after an FBI investigation that has been under way for at least three years. The US Department of Justice said authorities had charged 14 officials, nine of whom are current or former Fifa executives. Those arrested in Zurich face extradition to the US. 
 
 “They were expected to uphold the rules that keep soccer honest. Instead they corrupted the business of worldwide soccer to serve their interests and enrich themselves,” said the US attorney general, Loretta Lynch, at a news conference in New York. “They did this over and over, year after year, tournament after tournament.” Events tainted by corruption included the award of the 2010 World Cup to South Africa and the 2011 Fifa presidential election, she said. 
 
 Separately, Swiss federal prosecutors said they had opened criminal proceedings in connection with the award of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar. These decisions have been shrouded in claims of bribery and corruption ever since the vote in December 2010. 
 
 The Swiss authorities seized “electronic data and documents” in a raid on Fifa headquarters. Bank documents had earlier been collected from various Swiss financial institutions. Police will question 10 members of the Fifa executive committee who took part in the World Cup votes. The 10, all still current members of Fifa’s ExCo, include senior vice-president Issa Hayatou of Cameroon and Vitaly Mutko, Russia’s sports minister who is head of the country’s 2018 World Cup organising committee. The others are Angel Maria Villar Llona (Spain), Michel D’Hooghe (Belgium), Senes Erzik (Turkey), Worawi Makudi (Thailand), Marios Lefkaritis (Cyprus), Jacques Anouma (Ivory Coast), Rafael Salguero (Guatemala) and Hany Abo Rida (Egypt). 
 
 In a statement, the Swiss attorney general’s office said the executives were being questioned on suspicion of “criminal mismanagement” and money laundering. It said the timing of the operation was deliberately co-ordinated with the arrests on behalf of the US authorities “to avoid any possible collusion” between suspects and because a large number of those involved in the voting for the two World Cups were present in Zurich, where Fifa president Sepp Blatter was expected to be re-elected for another four-year term on Friday. 
 
 Facebook Twitter Pinterest ‘We instigated the investigation which led to arrests’ – Fifa spokesman Walter De Gregorio, at a press conference on Wednesday 
 
 At a later press conference at Fifa headquarters, spokesman Walter de Gregorio denied Blatter was in any way involved with either investigation and said that the Swiss proceedings were as a result of information provided by Fifa to the attorney general’s office in November 2014. He also confirmed that there was no suggestion that Russia or Qatar would lose the World Cup. 
 
 The arrests on behalf of the US authorities form part of an international investigation into bribes worth $100m (£65m) spanning three decades. The allegations date back to the 1990s and involve “the acceptance of bribes and kickbacks”, Swiss officials said. 
 
 Fifa vice-president Jeffrey Webb, of the Cayman Islands, was among those arrested. He is the head of Fifa’s North American regional body, known as Concacaf, which reported itself to US tax authorities in 2012. 
 
 The organisation had not paid taxes for several years when its president was Jack Warner and Chuck Blazer was secretary general. 
 
 As well as Webb, the Department of Justice statement confirmed the Fifa officials charged were Eugenio Figueredo, Jack Warner, Eduardo Li, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, Rafael Esquivel, José Maria Marin and Nicolás Leoz. A further four defendants were the sports marketing executives Alejandro Burzaco, Aaron Davidson, Hugo Jinkis and Mariano Jinkis. A further marketing executive, José Marguiles, was charged as an intermediary. 
 
 The DoJ statement confirmed the charges were for racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies, “among other offences” and alleged a “24-year scheme to enrich themselves through the corruption of international soccer”. 
 
 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Hotel staff escort a man from the Baur au Lac, Zurich, shielding him with a sheet 
 
 The arrests came two days before Fifa president Blatter had expected to be re-elected for a fifth term. On Wednesday morning, Blatter – who was not among those arrested – was said to be actively lobbying to have Friday’s election postponed. 
 
 Blatter has been closely entwined with many of those charged in the US during his 40 years at Fifa, including the Paraguayan Leoz and the Trinidadian Warner. Webb and Figuero are current Fifa vice-presidents. 
 
 Last year it emerged that Blazer, who was forced to resign after being accused of financial irregularities, had been helping the FBI with its long-running inquiry. The DoJ statement said Blazer had already pleaded guilty to charges, as had José Hawilla, the owner and founder of the Traffic Group, a multinational sports marketing agency with its headquarters in Brazil. 
 
 Blazer wore a wiretap at the London 2012 Olympics and, although seriously ill, has been continuing to help the FBI with its investigation. 
 
 “The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States,” said Lynch. “It spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks.” 
 
 Fifa corruption arrests: Uefa calls for postponement of presidential election Read more 
 
 The raids in Zurich are believed to have begun shortly before 6am, when six Fifa officials were led from the Baur au Lac hotel to unmarked cars with sheets over their heads. 
 
 The Swiss Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) said: “The US attorney’s office for the eastern district of New York is investigating these individuals on suspicion of the acceptance of bribes and kickbacks between the early 1990s and the present day. 
 
 “The bribery suspects – representatives of sports media and sports promotion firms – are alleged to have been involved in schemes to make payments to the soccer functionaries – delegates of Fifa (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) and other functionaries of Fifa sub-organisations – totalling more than $100m. 
 
 “In return, it is believed that they received media, marketing, and sponsorship rights in connection with soccer tournaments in Latin America. According to the US request, these crimes were agreed and prepared in the US, and payments were carried out via US banks.” 
 
 Pressure is now bound to build on Blatter to postpone Friday’s election, where he is standing against Jordanian Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein. 
 
 Facebook Twitter Pinterest L-R: (top row) Former President of the Brazilian Football Confederation Jose Maria Marin, President of the Venezuelan Football Federation Rafael Esquivel, President of Costa Rica Football Federation Eduardo Li, former President of South American Football Confederation Nicolas Leoz, (bottom row) former President of the Nicaraguan Football Federation Julio Rocha, former Acting President of South American Football Confederation Eugenio Figueredo, former FIFA Executive member Jack Warner, and President of Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football Jeffery Webb. Photograph: Reuters 
 
 “Today is a sad day for football,” said Prince Ali on Wednesday morning. “Clearly this is a developing story, the details of which are still emerging. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.” 
 
 The mounting sense of crisis in Zurich has echoes of four years ago when Blatter was re-elected unopposed following the withdrawal of his Qatari rival Mohamed bin Hammam amid bribery claims that again centred on Concacaf members. Then he sailed on, asking: “Crisis? What is a crisis?” 
 
 The difference this time is that Swiss prosecutors have cooperated with US law enforcement to extradite Fifa officials gathered for the most high profile meeting in its calendar. 
 
 Zurich cantonal police arrived at the Baur au Lac hotel, where senior Fifa executives habitually gather on their all-expenses paid jaunts to Zurich for committee meetings, at about 6am on Wednesday. They stopped at reception to get the room numbers for the officials they intended to arrest. The men were not handcuffed as they were led away from the hotel. “Very peaceful,” tweeted New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt. “Hotel staff meanwhile is freaking out.” 
 
 Photographs showed officers hiding the suspects behind sheets as they escorted them to unmarked cars. One, Eduardo Li of Costa Rica, was allowed to bring his luggage as he left through a side door, the New York Times reported. Reporters were shooed away shortly after arrests began. 
 
 Owen Gibson (@owen_g) We've been booted out of the lobby of the Bauer au Lac: "We must protect the privacy of our guests". Might be a bit late for that. 
 
 The last time international media attention was focused on the Baur au Lac was four years ago, when US and British World Cup bids were rejected in favour of Russia and Qatar. Suspicions of vote-buying and wrongdoing in those bidding contests have dogged Fifa ever since. 
 
 Swiss officials said the suspects’ deportation could be sanctioned immediately. The statement added: “The Zurich cantonal police will question the detainees today on behalf of the FOJ regarding the US request for their arrest. 
 
 “A simplified procedure will apply for wanted persons who agree to their immediate extradition. The FOJ can immediately approve their extradition to the US and order its execution. 
 
 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Costa Rica football president Eduardo Li shakes hands with Fifa president Sepp Blatter before kick-off at the 2014 World Cup. Photograph: BPI/REX Shutterstock 
 
 “However, if a wanted person opposes their extradition, the FOJ will invite the US to submit a formal extradition request within the deadline of 40 days specified in the bilateral extradition treaty.” 
 
 Last November, Fifa’s ethics committee closed its investigation into the controversial bidding process that saw Qatar named as host of the 2022 World Cup, ruling that any breaches of the rules were only of “very limited scope”. 
 
 The decision to award Qatar the tournament was hugely controversial, prompting an avalanche of allegations about the way it won the bid and concerns about the searing heat in which matches would be held as well as the treatment of migrant workers building the infrastructure underpinning it. 
 
 But Fifa said an investigation did not find any direct link between the World Cup bid and illicit payments made by the disgraced former Asian Football Confederation president Bin Hammam, a Qatari who was banned for life for paying bribes during a campaign to unseat Blatter as president. 
 
 
 
 
 
 • This article was amended on 28 May 2015 to correct the spelling of the Baur au Lac. ||||| An election, seemingly pre-ordained to give Mr. Blatter a fifth term as president, is scheduled for Friday. 
 
 The case is the most significant yet for United States Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch, who took office last month. She previously served as the United States attorney in Brooklyn, where she supervised the FIFA investigation. Ms. Lynch and F.B.I. Director James Comey were expected to hold a news conference on Wednesday morning in New York. 
 
 With more than $1.5 billion in reserves, FIFA is as much a global financial conglomerate as a sports organization. With countries around the world competing aggressively to win the bid to host the World Cup, Mr. Blatter has commanded the fealty of anyone who wanted a piece of that revenue stream. He and FIFA have weathered corruption controversies in the past, but none involved charges of federal crimes in United States court. 
 
 United States law gives the Justice Department wide authority to bring cases against foreign nationals living abroad, an authority that prosecutors have used repeatedly in international terrorism cases. Those cases can hinge on the slightest connection to the United States, like the use of an American bank or Internet service provider. 
 
 Image Jack Warner, a former FIFA vice president, is among those expected to face charges in the United States. Credit Luis Acosta/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images 
 
 Switzerland’s treaty with the United States is unusual in that it gives Swiss authorities the power to refuse extradition for tax crimes, but on matters of general criminal law, the Swiss have agreed to turn people over for prosecution in American courts. 
 
 Critics of FIFA point to the lack of transparency regarding executive salaries and resource allocations for an organization that, by its own admission, had revenue of $5.7 billion from 2011 to 2014. Policy decisions are also often taken without debate or explanation, and a small group of officials — known as the executive committee — operates with outsize power. FIFA has for years functioned with little oversight and even less transparency. Alexandra Wrage, a governance consultant who once unsuccessfully attempted to help overhaul FIFA’s methods, famously labeled the organization “byzantine and impenetrable.” ||||| ZURICH (AP) — The Swiss Federal Office of Justice says six soccer officials have been arrested and detained pending extradition at the request of U.S. authorities ahead of the FIFA congress in Zurich. 
 
 In a statement Wednesday, the FOJ says U.S. authorities suspect the officials of having received of paid bribes totaling millions of dollars. 
 
 It says the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York is investigating these individuals on suspicion of the acceptance of bribes and kick-backs between the early 1990s and now. 
 
 FIFA, soccer's world governing body, is holding a presidential election in Zurich on Friday, when Sepp Blatter has been widely tipped to stay in the job. ||||| Image copyright Reuters 
 
 Two criminal investigations into corruption at football's world governing body Fifa are under way, with seven top officials arrested in Zurich. 
 
 The seven are among 14 indicted on corruption charges in a US inquiry, the US Department of Justice said. 
 
 The second criminal case was launched by Swiss prosecutors into the bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, to be held in Russia and Qatar respectively. 
 
 But Fifa says it plans to go ahead with an election for president as planned. 
 
 Incumbent president Sepp Blatter, who is seeking a fifth term, was not one of the seven officials arrested. 
 
 Fifa also said there would be no rerun of the World Cup bidding processes for 2018 and 2022. 
 
 Image copyright Reuters Image caption The raid took place at a five-star hotel in Zurich early on Wednesday 
 
 Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein of Jordan - Mr Blatter's rival for the Fifa presidency - said "we cannot continue with the crisis in Fifa". 
 
 "Fifa needs leadership that governs, guides and protects our national associations." 
 
 Fifa's Zurich headquarters has also been raided, with electronic data and documents seized. US authorities also searched the headquarters of Concacaf - the Fifa confederation for North and Central America and the Caribbean - in Miami, Florida, as part of their investigations. 
 
 'Rampant, systemic, deep-rooted' 
 
 The US justice department said 14 individuals were under investigation worldwide for allegedly accepting bribes and kickbacks estimated at more than $150m (£97m) over a 24-year period. 
 
 Image copyright AFP / getty images Image caption The Fifa executives indicted include Rafael Esquivel, Nicolas Leoz, Jeffrey Webb, Jack Warner, Eduardo Li, Eugenio Figueredo and Jose Maria Marin 
 
 The seven arrested at a five-star hotel in Zurich on Wednesday were: 
 
 Jeffrey Webb - head of Concacaf, and Fifa vice-president 
 
 Costa Rica's national football chief Eduardo Li, who was due to join Fifa's executive committee on Friday 
 
 Uruguay's Eugenio Figueredo, president of South American football governing body Conmebol 
 
 Venezuelan Football Federation president Rafael Esquivel 
 
 Brazil's Jose Maria Marin, a member of Fifa's club committee 
 
 Fifa development officer Julio Rocha, from Nicaragua 
 
 Costas Takkas, of the UK, an attache to the Concacaf president 
 
 Also indicted are former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner, Nicolas Leoz, Aaron Davidson, Alejandro Burzaco, Jose Margulies, and Hugo and Mariano Jinkis. 
 
 "The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States," said US Attorney General Loretta Lynch. 
 
 "Today's announcement should send a message that enough is enough," Acting US Attorney Kelly Currie said. 
 
 Several officials have already pleaded guilty, the US Department of Justice says. These include Charles "Chuck" Blazer, the former head of Concacaf, who was previously on the Fifa executive committee. 
 
 Image caption The BBC 's Nick Bryant tweeted this diagram from US prosecutors showing the alleged scheme 
 
 Mr Blazer, one of Fifa's most senior US representatives, allegedly started working with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and took part in undercover work, according to US media reports. 
 
 Mr Warner reacted to the news by saying he had not been questioned and was innocent of any charges. 
 
 He said that since leaving Fifa four years ago "I have recommitted my life to the work of improving the lot of every citizen of every creed and race in this nation (Trinidad and Tobago)... I have fought fearlessly against all forms of injustice and corruption." 
 
 He added: "The actions of Fifa no longer concern me." 
 
 Football's untouchable 'dark prince' - Imogen Foulkes, BBC News, Switzerland 
 
 Many have wondered how Sepp Blatter can have been in charge of Fifa for so long amid so many reports of corruption and yet remain, apparently, untouched. 
 
 One Swiss newspaper jokingly called him "the dark prince of football, the godfather, Don Blatterone" - but no inquiry has ever revealed proof of his involvement in corruption. 
 
 "He's a survivor," says one member of parliament, Roland Buechel. "Nothing ever sticks to him; there is always someone between him and the bribes." 
 
 Some old friends describe Mr Blatter as down-to-earth and open. Others who have worked with him say he is a man who resents opposition, pointing to the swift departure of Fifa colleagues who dared to question him. 
 
 What emerges, finally, is a man who both critics and supporters say cannot imagine his life without Fifa, a man whose tenure as president has outlasted three marriages. 
 
 But as scandal follows scandal, Mr Blatter's determination not to leave his post willingly could see him bundled unceremoniously out of the back door. 
 
 Sepp Blatter: The man who won't give up 
 
 'Right track' 
 
 Fifa "welcomes the process and co-operates fully with the attorney general of Switzerland," spokesman Walter DeGregorio told reporters on Wednesday. 
 
 "It is certainly a difficult moment for us," he said, "but this is good for Fifa. It confirms that we are on the right track". 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Fifa spokesman Walter De Gregorio: "This confirms that we are on the right track" 
 
 Both Swiss and US justice officials said the indicted officials had allegedly received $150m worth of bribes from the early 1990s for football tournaments in the US and Latin America. 
 
 The alleged crimes were agreed to and prepared in the US via US bank accounts, the office of the Swiss prosecutor said, adding that the Swiss authorities could immediately approve the extradition. 
 
 In the second case, Swiss prosecutors opened criminal proceedings "against persons unknown on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering in connection with the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 football World Cups". 
 
 Swiss police said they would question 10 Fifa executive committee members who participated in the votes that selected Russia and Qatar in December 2010. 
 
 Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said the investigation would not affect its hosting of the 2018 event, telling Associated Press: "We've got nothing to hide." ||||| (CNN) Allegations of corruption at FIFA are nothing new to those who follow international soccer. But what was surprising to some Wednesday was the sense that someone was finally doing something about them. 
 
 The U.S. Justice Department unsealed a 47-count indictment in federal court in Brooklyn that detailed charges against 14 people accused of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. 
 
 The most serious are the racketeering charges, which allege that the officials turned soccer "into a criminal enterprise," according to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch , who spoke to reporters in New York. A conviction could command a sentence of up to 20 years. 
 
 "The idea of being shocked about bribery and racketeering at FIFA is like being shocked about jumping into a pool and finding yourself wet," said Dave Zirin, sports editor at The Nation magazine. 
 
 "What makes this particularly different is the fact that this time it looks like the charges have real teeth. I mean, coming from the U.S. Department of Justice, that's a first. That's never happened before," he said. 
 
 'We are issuing FIFA a red card' 
 
 The complexity of the investigation Lynch described was evident by the federal officials accompanying her, including an assistant U.S. attorney, FBI Director James Comey and Richard Weber, head of the IRS criminal investigation division. 
 
 "This really is the World Cup of fraud, and today we are issuing FIFA a red card," Weber said. 
 
 FIFA officials are accused of taking bribes totaling more than $150 million and in return providing "lucrative media and marketing rights" to soccer tournaments as kickbacks over the past 24 years. 
 
 "The defendants fostered a culture of corruption and greed that created an uneven playing field for the biggest sport in the world," Comey said in a statement. "Undisclosed and illegal payments, kickbacks and bribes became a way of doing business at FIFA." 
 
 The indictment "is the beginning of our work, not the end" of an effort to rid global soccer of corruption, said Kelly Currie, acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York. 
 
 After the news conference, Chris Eaton, former FIFA head of security, said that U.S. officials have done "something that no other police organization or other region has done so far on FIFA." 
 
 "The fact is there's been no jurisdiction that was able to take a report, or to take action, or to coordinate a global action such as the U.S. has done today," he said. "We're seeing for the first time a very powerful jurisdiction take action against a very powerful, opaque organization." 
 
 Stan Collymore, a former member of England's national team, said it's a good thing Washington got involved in FIFA's business. He wasn't the only one saying so. 
 
 The United States is the only nation who can tackle FIFA. Well done Attorney General and DOJ!! #BoycottFIFA — Stan Collymore (@StanCollymore) May 27, 2015 
 
 This is extraordinary! FIFA is imploding. The best thing that could possibly happen to the beautiful game. https://t.co/l5Hiwp0WxZ — Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 27, 2015 
 
 Extradition and next steps 
 
 The next step in the FIFA corruption investigation is extradition, whereby federal officials will attempt to bring suspects to the United States to face allegations they arranged bribes at meetings on U.S. soil, employed the U.S. banking system in conveying the bribes and created documents to cloak their activity, Lynch said. 
 
 "In short, these individuals, through these organizations, engaged in bribery to decide who would televise games, where the games would be held and who would run the organization overseeing organized soccer worldwide," she told reporters. 
 
 Among the decisions allegedly sullied by corruption , Lynch said, were the "sponsorship of the Brazilian national soccer team by a major U.S. sportswear company," the 2011 FIFA presidential election and the placement of the 2010 World Cup. 
 
 JUST WATCHED FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges 02:19 
 
 "Around 2004, bidding began for the opportunity to host the 2010 World Cup, which was ultimately awarded to South Africa, the first time the tournament would be held on the African continent. But even for this historic event, FIFA executives and others corrupted the process by using bribes to influence the hosting decision," she said. 
 
 The South African Football Association called the allegations baseless and promised to challenge them. Spokesman Dominic Chimhavi added, "Those individuals that brought the World Cup to South Africa were men of high integrity. Men like the late President Nelson Mandela and our former President Thabo Mbeki. The bidding process was never compromised." 
 
 FIFA announced shortly after Lynch's news conference that it was banning 11 individuals from "football-related activities" as a result of the investigation. Seven of them have already been arrested by Swiss authorities, while others on the list had previous indictments and guilty pleas unsealed Wednesday. 
 
 The list also included former presidents of CONCACAF and CONMEBOL, the governing bodies for soccer in North America and the Caribbean, and South America, respectively. 
 
 Arrests 
 
 In addition to the U.S. probe into corruption that Lynch earlier called "rampant, systemic and deep-rooted," soccer's governing body also finds itself on the end of a Swiss investigation into World Cup bidding. 
 
 Swiss authorities raided FIFA's headquarters in Zurich on Wednesday, the same day they announced an investigation into the last two awarded World Cup bids -- to Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022 -- both of which have been under fire since they were announced in 2010. 
 
 JUST WATCHED FIFA arrests: We have cooperated with investigators Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH FIFA arrests: We have cooperated with investigators 02:31 
 
 But the day's more definitive and, right now, damning action came out of the United States. 
 
 Seven people were arrested Wednesday in Zurich with help from Swiss authorities, Lynch said. Among them was Jeffrey Webb, a FIFA vice president and head of CONCACAF. 
 
 Authorities executed a search warrant at CONCACAF's Florida office Wednesday morning, Lynch said. 
 
 The majority of those arrested are contesting extradition to the United States, Switzerland's Federal Office of Justice said. Though Lynch cited seven arrests, the Swiss office's statement mentioned only six. 
 
 In Argentina, the process for the extradition of three defendants named in the U.S. indictment has begun, according to the country's state-run news agency Telam. A federal judge has received a detention order from the U.S. Embassy for the Argentine citizens Alejandro Burzaco, Hugo Jinkis and Mariano Jinkis, the agency reported. 
 
 FIFA President Sepp Blatter is not one of those arrested or facing charges by U.S. authorities, but he was among those investigated 
 
 Asked if the U.S. investigation had cleared Blatter, Lynch told reporters, "I'm not able to comment further on Mr. Blatter's status." Officials said earlier Wednesday that the investigation into Blatter's possible involvement continues. 
 
 Blatter said in a statement that FIFA welcomes the investigations by U.S. and Swiss authorities, and he believes their inquiries "will help to reinforce measures that FIFA has already taken to root out any wrongdoing in football." In fact, he said, the Swiss investigation was "set in motion" when FIFA submitted a dossier to authorities last year. He did not elaborate. 
 
 "Such misconduct has no place in football, and we will ensure that those who engage in it are put out of the game," Blatter said. "We will continue to work with the relevant authorities and we will work vigorously within FIFA in order to root out any misconduct, to regain your trust and ensure that football worldwide is free from wrongdoing." 
 
 Election looms 
 
 FIFA spokesman Walter De Gregorio said the specter of scandal won't stop executives from soccer's scandal-plagued governing body from gathering Friday to possibly elect Blatter to a fifth term, despite questions raised by Greg Dyke, the head of Britain's Football Association, in light of Wednesday's developments. 
 
 However, European football's governing body, UEFA, said its member associations should consider whether to attend the upcoming FIFA World Congress, which it said should be postponed. UEFA further called for "new FIFA presidential elections to be organized within the next six months." 
 
 The plans for future World Cups in Qatar, which has been dogged by criticism for its treatment of foreign workers rushing to build stadiums , and Russia are still on as well, De Gregorio said. 
 
 JUST WATCHED FIFA: Sepp Blatter 'not involved' in allegations Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH FIFA: Sepp Blatter 'not involved' in allegations 03:21 
 
 Yet Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan, one of those challenging Blatter for FIFA's presidency, said Wednesday, "We cannot continue with the crisis." 
 
 "FIFA needs leadership that governs, guides and protects our national associations," said Ali, who has in the past blasted what he calls FIFA's culture of intimidation. "Leadership that accepts responsibility for its actions and does not pass blame. Leadership that restores confidence in the hundreds of millions of football fans around the world." 
 
 De Gregorio scarcely mentioned the U.S. indictment at his news conference, though he did put a positive spin on the Swiss investigation. 
 
 "This for FIFA is good," he said. "It is not good in terms of image, and it's not good in terms of reputation, but in terms of cleaning up, in terms of everything that we did in the last four years." 
 
 Former FIFA VP among those indicted 
 
 Six of those indicted in the United States have current ties to FIFA, while another, Jack Warner, is a former FIFA vice president and ex-president of CONCACAF. Others connected to soccer bodies in North America, South America and the Caribbean are sports marketing executives and, in one case, a person who works in broadcasting. 
 
 Warner said in a statement that he had not been interviewed as part of the investigation, declared his innocence and said, "The actions of FIFA no longer concern me." 
 
 "The people of Trinidad and Tobago will know that I quit FIFA and international football more than four years ago and that over the past several years, I have recommitted my life to the work of improving the lot of every citizen of every creed and race in this nation. This is where I have let my bucket down," he said. "I have fought fearlessly against all forms of injustice and corruption." 
 
 JUST WATCHED Lynch: U.S. determined to root out FIFA corruption Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Lynch: U.S. determined to root out FIFA corruption 02:58 
 
 According to a video aired by CNN affiliate CNC3, Warner arrived at a Port-of-Spain police station in Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday. The government has received a request from the U.S. government for Warner's extradition. 
 
 In May 2011, Warner and fellow FIFA member Mohammed bin Hammam of Qatar were suspended by FIFA's Ethics Committee, pending the outcome of an investigation of corruption allegations against them. 
 
 Warner resigned from his position the following month , and FIFA announced that "all Ethics Committee procedures against him have been closed and the presumption of innocence is maintained." 
 
 The Justice Department on Wednesday also unsealed information on four people and two "corporate defendants" who pleaded guilty to various charges in recent years. 
 
 One of them, Charles Blazer, a former member of the FIFA Executive Committee, "decided early on to use his position for personal gain," and between 2005 and 2010 amassed $11 million in unreported income, said the IRS' Weber. 
 
 Also included are Warner's sons Daryll, a former FIFA development officer who pleaded guilty in 2013 to two counts related to wire fraud and structuring of financial transactions, and Daryan, who has forfeited $1.1 million as part of his plea and will forfeit an undisclosed sum when he is sentenced for wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and the structuring of financial transactions. 
 
 Jose Hawilla, the owner of the Brazilian sports marketing company, Traffic Group, also saw his 2014 indictment unsealed. At that time, he agreed to forfeit $151 million while pleading guilty to racketeering, wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and obstruction of justice. 
 
 Swiss probe 
 
 Details on the Swiss investigation were not as readily available. 
 
 "The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has opened criminal proceedings against persons unknown on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering in connection with the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 Football World Cups," the office said Wednesday. "In the course of said proceedings, electronic data and documents were seized today at FIFA's head office in Zurich." 
 
 The same office added later that it has blocked accounts at banks in Switzerland where alleged bribes flowed and seized related bank documents. 
 
 Swiss federal police will question Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko about how FIFA awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, an official with knowledge of the investigation has confirmed to CNN. 
 
 Mutko is one of 10 people who took part in the voting and is being investigated, according to Swiss authorities. 
 
 The attorney general's office of Switzerland said it is looking into criminal mismanagement and money laundering as part of its investigation into the 2018 and 2022 bids. 
 
 "The files seized today and the collected bank documents will serve criminal proceedings both in Switzerland and abroad," a statement from the attorney general's office said 
 
 England was one of the countries that submitted a failed bid for the 2018 World Cup, while the United States saw its 2022 bid shot down. Soccer bodies in both countries issued statements regarding Wednesday's developments, though the U.S. Soccer Federation said it wouldn't comment on specifics. 
 
 "There is no higher priority, and nothing more important, than protecting the integrity of our game. We are committed to the highest ethical standards and business practices, and we will continue to encourage CONCACAF and FIFA to promote the same values," the U.S. federation said. 
 
 Dyke, chairman of England's Football Association, said, "As one of the associations who nominated Prince Ali it will not surprise you to learn that if the election for president goes ahead The FA will be voting for him. However, there must be a question mark over whether the election should take place in these circumstances. 
 
 FIFA has cleared itself 
 
 FIFA has been at the center of corruption investigations for years, but the organization has long dismissed allegations that top officials were on the take. 
 
 Photos: Qatar 2022: The unanswered questions Photos: Qatar 2022: The unanswered questions The most controversial World Cup ever just got a whole lot more controversial. ... Hide Caption 1 of 10 Photos: Qatar 2022: The unanswered questions When Manuel Neuer lifted the World Cup trophy after helping Germany win the 2014 final, he did so in the month of July. But when the 2022 World Cup final is staged, it's likely the final will take place in December. Hide Caption 2 of 10 Photos: Qatar 2022: The unanswered questions English Premier League boss Richard Scudamore isn't very happy about the proposed rescheduling of the 2022 World Cup. "Very disappointed that's the word, I think, on behalf of the all the European leagues and particularly the European clubs who provide most of the players for this World Cup," he said in a statement. Hide Caption 3 of 10 Photos: Qatar 2022: The unanswered questions A World Cup tournament in November and December presents particular problems for the English Premier League because, unlike Germany, France, Italy and Spain, it does not have a winter break. Hide Caption 4 of 10 Photos: Qatar 2022: The unanswered questions A "winter" World Cup will create a fixture headache for Europe's major tournaments -- the Champions League and the Europa League -- which stages group games in those winter months. Hide Caption 5 of 10 Photos: Qatar 2022: The unanswered questions However, European governing body UEFA, whose president is Michel Platini, issued a statement supporting the FIFA task force's recommendations. Hide Caption 6 of 10 Photos: Qatar 2022: The unanswered questions Players union FIFPro said a switch to the winter months is the only viable solution to protect the health and safety of the players who will be competing at the 2022 World Cup. Hide Caption 7 of 10 Photos: Qatar 2022: The unanswered questions But a World Cup in November and December is good news for the NFL, as it now won't clash with the Super Bowl. This year's final was staged on February 1. Hide Caption 8 of 10 Photos: Qatar 2022: The unanswered questions FIFA told CNN that the 2022 World Cup final would not be held on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Hide Caption 9 of 10 Photos: Qatar 2022: The unanswered questions A final decision on when the tournament will be staged will be made at a meeting of FIFA's executive committee between March 18 and 19. Hide Caption 10 of 10 
 
 In December, FIFA's Ethics Committee said it was closing its investigation into alleged corruption in the 2018 and 2022 bidding process that awarded the World Cup to Russia and Qatar, respectively. 
 
 Criticism immediately followed. There were allegations of corruption in the bidding process. Qatar's oppressive heat also drew ridicule, as did its labor rights record. 
 
 FIFA said its investigation found no corruption and it had no reason to reopen the bidding process. 
 
 In December 2012, FIFA banned for life bin Hammam, the Qatari member of its top governing body who had previously been suspended along with Warner for ethics violations.
– If there were a World Cup for tackling corruption in soccer, the US would now be the runaway favorite to win it. At least six officials from FIFA, soccer's world governing body, were arrested in a surprise overnight raid at a hotel in Zurich, where they had gathered for their annual meeting, the AP reports. More: The soccer chiefs are being held pending possible extradition to the US on federal corruption charges that go back more than 20 years and include alleged bribery involving World Cup bids, sources tell the New York Times. The Times' sources say US prosecutors targeted members of FIFA's powerful and secretive executive committee, and the BBC reports that those arrested include Jeffrey Webb, head of the confederation for North and Central America and the Caribbean. The officials arrested in Zurich do not include FIFA President Sepp Blatter—who is up for re-election Friday—but sources tell the Guardian that nearly a dozen other soccer officials worldwide may have been arrested overnight. The bribery allegations are believed to center on bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and the Swiss have now opened their own investigation into the bidding, reports the BBC. The charges follow a long FBI investigation, reports CNN, which notes that although most or all of the alleged bribery is believed to have occurred outside the US, American prosecutors may be able to claim jurisdiction because of the long reach of US banking regulations, and because the US is the biggest World Cup television market. (Allegations of FIFA corruption go back many years and include claims that Russia gave away a Picasso as it bribed its way toward hosting the 2018 World Cup.)