FIFA will not make results of 2018 and 2022 World Cup ethics investigation public

FIFA is nearing the end of an 18-month investigation into possible ethics breaches in bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, but the world soccer governing body won't make the results of that investigation public. FIFA confirmed that the investigation's report, due to be submitted in September, will only be shared with the ethics committee.

"We have no update concerning the delivery of the report of the investigatory chamber of the independent ethics committee," said a FIFA spokesman.

"Please note that in accordance with Arts. 28 and 36 of the FIFA Code of Ethics the report will be handed over to the adjudicatory chamber but only the final decision of the adjudicatory chamber may be made public."

FIFA has been rocked by allegations of bribery and vote trading in the selection of Russia as host of the 2018 World Cup and Qatar as the host for 2022. Multiple members of FIFA's executive committee have resigned or been banned from football for their conduct in the voting for the two tournaments, which were awarded to Russia and Qatar in 2011. And still, more allegations of impropriety have come from media investigations recently, with bid officials offering bribes to win votes in their pursuit of hosting the World Cup. Nearly all of the media investigations have been about the 2022 World Cup and Qatar's conduct.

The FIFA investigation is being conducted by former U.S. attorney Michael Garcia, who is not a member of FIFA and was hired specifically for this investigation. His report will then be submitted to Hans-Joachim Eckhart, a judge who has been appointed the head of the independent ethics committee for this matter. Garcia can choose to make recommendations for action in his report, from doing nothing to fines and suspensions or even stripping Russia or Qatar of host duties, but like the rest of the report, that will not be made public.

The only thing that will be made public is the rulings, whatever they may be. Those are not supposed to be decided until August or September and can range from nothing to ordering new hosts be chosen for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, but even those are decided by the FIFA executive committee, not Eckhart of his committee.