GENEVA // The United States have submitted a formal request for Switzerland to extradite seven Fifa officials arrested in Zurich as part of a corruption probe that has rocked football’s world governing body.
Switzerland’s Federal Office of Justice said that the requests were received from the US embassy at Bern.
The requests submitted late Wednesday met a 40-day deadline since the seven were detained on May 27 in raids on a luxury hotel in Fifa’s home city.
All seven men detained at Zurich, including three current and former members of Fifa’s executive committee, have already objected to extradition.
They face around 20 years in prison.
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The widening American investigation already alleges bribery and racketeering worth more than US$150 million (Dh551m) involving high-ranking Fifa officials over a 24-year span. The US Department of Justice published an indictment of 14 football and marketing officials in May that alleged bribery linked to awarding broadcast rights for international tournaments in North and South America.
“These crimes are thought to have been agreed and prepared in the USA, and payments were allegedly routed through US banks,” the Swiss justice ministry said in a statement.
The seven will be heard by Zurich police and granted a 14-day period to respond to federal officials about the extradition request, the Swiss justice ministry said.
Swiss justice officials will then rule “within a few weeks” on whether to extradite them. That ruling can be appealed to Switzerland’s top criminal court and supreme court.
The seven men include Fifa vice president Jeffrey Webb of the Cayman Islands and Eugenio Figueredo of Uruguay, who was arrested two days before his Fifa vice presidential term expired.
Costa Rican football federation president Eduardo Li was arrested two days before he was due to formally join Fifa’s executive committee.
Former Brazilian federation chief Jose Maria Marin is a member of the Fifa panel organising the men’s and women’s tournaments at next year’s Olympic Games.
The others are Venezuela FA chief Rafael Esquivel; Fifa staffer Julio Rocha, a development officer from Nicaragua; and Costas Takkas, a Briton who works for Concacaf president Webb.
The other seven men among the 14 indicted include disgraced former Fifa vice president Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago, and former Fifa executive committee member Nicolas Leoz of Paraguay, the longtime former president of South American governing body Conmebol.
A further four men have entered guilty pleas which were unsealed in May. They include American former Fifa executive panel member Chuck Blazer and two sons of Warner.
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
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What are the regulations?
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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