Critics Say FIFA is Stalling a Doping Inquiry as World Cup Nears

FIFA president Gianni Infantino, right, and Vitaly Mutko, who stepped down as chair of the World Cup Local Organizing Committee amid state-sponsored doping allegations.London — Dealing with Russia and its doping program haunted the International Olympic Committee for over a year. Now it’s FIFA’s turn.

With the Russia World Cup six months away, leaders of the antidoping movement are criticizing soccer’s governing body over its failure to pursue more aggressively whether Russian authorities covered up positive doping tests belonging to the country’s top soccer players.

Travis Tygart, the head of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, said Tuesday that FIFA’s apparent inaction was “exasperating.”…