When the United States announced criminal charges against longtime leaders of world soccer in May, its message was clear: FIFA, the international organization governing the sport, was riddled with corruption. FIFA bolstered that notion Thursday, suspending its most powerful executives not charged by the United States amid internal ethics investigations.
But the continuing federal case, in which neither FIFA nor the two regional soccer confederations central to the allegations are being prosecuted, has sent another, subtler message: The United States considers FIFA and its confederations victims.
From banks like BNP Paribas to carmakers like General Motors, the Department of Justice has been criticized for criminally charging corporations but not the people behind them.