NEW YORK: US prosecutors urged a New York jury to convict three wealthy South American former football officials “on all counts” in the face of “overwhelming” evidence, delivering closing arguments at the FIFA corruption trial.
“The three defendants thought the payouts would last forever but they won’t,” assistant US attorney Kristin Mace told the federal court in Brooklyn, a day after the defendants declined to take the stand in their own defense.
“They got caught. And it’s time that they are held accountable.
“The evidence is overwhelming,” Mace added, urging the jury to declare the trio “guilty on all counts.”
The defendants are Jose Maria Marin, ex-head of Brazil’s Football Confederation; former FIFA Vice-President Juan Angel Napout, who was elected president of CONMEBOL in 2014; and Manuel Burga, who led soccer in Peru until 2014.
They are charged with racketeering, wire fraud and money-laundering conspiracies.
But while the defense admits widespread corruption at FIFA, it insists there is no evidence that their clients were paid bribes with jurors expected to begin deliberations with the trial already into a fifth week.
“There was not one penny that they could trace to Juan, not one single transfer,” Napout’s lawyer John Pappalardo said Wednesday.
“There’s no evidence. All they have is theories,” he said. “Those theories are not enough.”
Burga’s lawyer Bruce Udolf trode a similar line. “Burga never got any money at all,” he said. “He didn’t get a dime. The government went too far in this case.”
Marin’s elegantly dressed wife began to pray in the gallery, her eyes moistening and her hands clutching a rosary as she heard the accusations against her husband.
Mace said the defendants were blinded by greed into accepting a combined total of $21.45 million in bribes — Napout $10.5 million, Marin $6.55 million and Burga $4.4 million — in exchange for bestowing television and marketing rights for matches.
She showed the court bank records, company documents and reminded jurors of testimony from throughout the trial, which comes two and a half years after the United States unveiled the largest graft scandal in the history of world football.
“This is a unique look inside a broad and powerful internal conspiracy,” said Mace.
“A conspiracy to enrich the soccer elite of the world, bribe after bribe, year after year at the expense of the organization they were supposed to serve.”
But the defendants are just three of the 42 officials and marketing executives, not to mention three companies, indicted in an exhaustive 236-page complaint detailing 92 separate crimes and 15 corruption schemes to the tune of $200 million.
If convicted, they risk up to 20 years behind bars for the most serious offenses.
Prosecutors pushing for conviction in FIFA trial
Prosecutors pushing for conviction in FIFA trial
Alcaraz defeats Rublev to reach Qatar Open final against Fils
- The Spaniard will face France’s Arthur Fils in Saturday’s final
- Russian Rublev fought back from 3-0 down to level the second set and then saved five match points
DOHA: World number one Carlos Alcaraz continued his unbeaten run in 2026 as he beat defending champion Andrey Rublev 7-6(3) 6-4 on Friday to reach the Qatar Open final, reaching the 12th summit clash in his last 13 tournaments.
The Spaniard will face France’s Arthur Fils in Saturday’s final after the 21-year-old beat Czech Jakub Mensik 6-4 7-6(4) in the second semifinal.
Russian Rublev fought back from 3-0 down to level the second set and then saved five match points, but Alcaraz ultimately prevailed to win his 11th straight match of the season.
“I know what I’m able to do every time that I step on court. For me it’s great. Obviously, the way I’m approaching every match, I’m just really proud about it,” said 22-year-old Alcaraz, who has been a finalist at the last four Grand Slams, winning three of them.
“It’s paying off, all the focus and attention. I’m just happy and proud about myself with how I’m getting better and getting mature I guess.”
Rublev made 14 unforced backhand errors in the first set, but outwitted Alcaraz with precise forehands that nicked the baseline as both players broke the other twice each to go into a tiebreak.
Alcaraz held his nerve to go 6-3 up in the tiebreak as a frustrated Rublev repeatedly smashed the racket on his left knee, breaking a string. Seven-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz then pretended to slice but landed a forehand down the sideline to win the first set.
Alcaraz broke Rublev twice to go 5-3 up in the second set and was serving for the match when the world number 14 saved three match points to break back.
But Alcaraz pushed to break again for victory in the next game, and finally converted his sixth match point when Rublev’s backhand landed wide.
Fils reached his fifth career final with a commanding victory over world number 16 Mensik in just over 90 minutes. The Frenchman — who suffered a lower back stress fracture during the 2025 French Open that led to eight months out of the game — committed fewer unforced errors in an otherwise even match, while saving seven of eight break points and converting two of five.
“Eight months without playing, watching others and staying in bed. It was a long and difficult ordeal. But today, the comeback is all the more sweet. It means a lot to me to be in the final,” said Fils.
