Michael Garcia resigns as FIFA investigator

Michael Garcia, the lawyer charged with leading investigations into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, has resigned over the handling of his findings. The American launched an appeal over alleged misrepresentations of his report in a summary published by football's global governing body, though its subsequent rejection has led to his resignation.

Garcia claimed that the statement published by German Judge Joachim Eckert had made him "lose confidence in the independence of the Adjudicatory Chamber," though "the lack of leadership on these issues within FIFA that leads me to conclude that my role in this process is at an end."

It is a development that further reflects poorly on the governing body, with Garcia recently described by a former FIFA advisor, Michael Hershman, as one of "very, very few independent voices" within the organization. Big questions still remain about FIFA's transparency -- or lack thereof -- and the hazy means by which Russia and Qatar won the right to hold the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively.

Unfortunately, Garcia's resignation means these are big questions that will likely stay unanswered.