Overview
U.S. prosecutors spent years proving that Hernan Lopez, a former Fox International Channels CEO, and the sports marketing firm Full Play bribed South American soccer officials to lock down lucrative TV rights. A Brooklyn jury convicted them in 2023, a judge threw those convictions out, an appeals court revived them in July 2025—and now the government is telling the Supreme Court it wants the whole case dismissed in “the interests of justice.”
The reversal lands after a Supreme Court streak that narrowed corruption laws and during a Trump‑era purge of the Justice Department’s anti‑corruption machinery, including a near‑shutdown of foreign‑bribery enforcement. With the U.S. set to co‑host the 2026 World Cup and Trump publicly celebrated by FIFA’s president, this case has become a test of how serious Washington still is about policing money and power in global soccer.
Key Indicators
People Involved
Organizations Involved
South American sports marketing firm accused of paying bribes to lock down TV rights to top tournaments.
The federal department that led the FIFA crackdown is now stepping back from its marquee case.
World soccer’s governing body, once rocked by U.S. prosecutions, now courts Trump as 2026 approaches.
Its recent decisions narrowed tools prosecutors used in public‑corruption and fraud cases.
Timeline
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Prosecutors ask to abandon soccer TV rights case
LegalIn a filing to the Supreme Court, the Justice Department says it will seek dismissal of the indictment against Lopez and Full Play, calling it “in the interests of justice.”
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Trump DOJ’s anti‑corruption retreat comes into focus
PolicyInvestigations and congressional letters describe mass resignations and deep cuts to DOJ’s corruption and foreign‑bribery teams under Trump’s second term.
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Appeals court restores Lopez and Full Play convictions
LegalThe Second Circuit reinstates the jury verdicts, holding that bribery of soccer officials fits within honest‑services fraud and ordering further proceedings.
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Trump DOJ guts public‑corruption unit
PolicyReports detail plans to slash the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section and pause most enforcement of foreign‑bribery laws.
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Trial judge tosses FIFA TV bribery convictions
LegalJudge Pamela Chen vacates Lopez and Full Play’s convictions, ruling that honest‑services fraud does not reach the alleged foreign commercial bribery.
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Supreme Court tightens corruption tools
LegalThe Court’s Percoco and Ciminelli decisions further limit honest‑services and “right to control” fraud theories that underpinned many public‑corruption cases.
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Jury convicts Lopez and Full Play
LegalAfter a seven‑week trial, a Brooklyn jury finds Lopez and Full Play guilty of wire‑fraud and money‑laundering conspiracies linked to soccer TV rights.
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Lopez and Full Play charged over TV rights
LegalBrooklyn prosecutors unseal charges accusing Hernan Lopez and Full Play of paying bribes for World Cup and Copa Libertadores broadcasting rights.
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U.S. blows open FIFA corruption
InvestigationThe Justice Department unveils sweeping indictments of soccer officials and marketing executives, alleging decades of bribe‑fueled TV and marketing deals.
Scenarios
Judge Grants DOJ Request, FIFA TV Bribery Case Quietly Dies
Discussed by: AP, ESPN, white‑collar defense lawyers quoted in mainstream coverage and legal blogs
Judge Chen, now back in the driver’s seat, grants the government’s anticipated motion to dismiss the indictment with prejudice. Lopez and Full Play walk away without retrial or resentencing, and the U.S. closes its last big FIFA broadcasting‑rights case just months before hosting the World Cup. The decision becomes Exhibit A in arguments that Trump’s Justice Department has effectively stepped away from complex public‑corruption and foreign‑bribery enforcement, encouraging corporations to test the limits of the newly narrowed laws.
Court Pushes Back, Forcing Narrow Plea or Sanctions Instead of Total Retreat
Discussed by: Some former prosecutors and legal commentators skeptical of dropping a fully tried corruption case
Judge Chen could treat the government’s reversal skeptically, probing whether politics rather than evidentiary concerns are driving the dismissal. She cannot force DOJ to prosecute, but she could press for a resolution that acknowledges wrongdoing, such as deferred prosecution agreements, corporate compliance obligations, or fines, especially for Full Play. Such a move would not resurrect aggressive corruption enforcement, but it would signal that judges won’t always rubber‑stamp DOJ’s retreat when the public interest in accountability is obvious.
Backlash Over Case’s Collapse Sparks Push to Rebuild U.S. Anti‑Corruption Tools
Discussed by: Democratic lawmakers, anti‑corruption NGOs, and legal think tanks focused on honest‑services reform
If the case is dropped, it could crystallize concern that Supreme Court rulings and Trump‑era policy choices have left the U.S. unable—or unwilling—to police elite corruption. With the 2026 World Cup on American soil, watchdogs may seize the symbolism to push for statutory rewrites of honest‑services fraud, stronger standalone foreign‑bribery provisions, and a rebuilt Public Integrity Section. Whether Congress acts will depend on political control after 2026 and whether new scandals keep corruption squarely in the headlines.
Historical Context
Skilling v. United States and the First Big Cutback on Honest‑Services Fraud
2001–2010What Happened
After Enron collapsed, prosecutors charged CEO Jeffrey Skilling with, among other things, depriving shareholders of his “honest services.” In 2010, the Supreme Court ruled that the honest‑services statute could constitutionally cover only clear bribery and kickback schemes, not vague self‑dealing theories, forcing courts to pare back some high‑profile convictions.
Outcome
Short term: Skilling’s honest‑services conviction was vacated, and several other white‑collar cases were reopened or dropped.
Long term: The decision pushed DOJ to lean harder on traditional bribery, wire‑fraud and securities‑fraud theories—and set the stage for later rulings like Percoco and Ciminelli.
Why It's Relevant
Lopez’s case sits in the same lineage of honest‑services battles, with courts again deciding how far prosecutors can stretch corruption statutes.
McDonnell v. United States and the Narrowing of ‘Official Acts’
2010–2016What Happened
Former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell was convicted of corruption for accepting lavish gifts and loans from a businessman seeking state help. In 2016, the Supreme Court unanimously overturned the conviction, holding that arranging meetings or events wasn’t enough to count as an “official act” under federal bribery law.
Outcome
Short term: McDonnell avoided prison, and prosecutors quickly lost or abandoned several other public‑corruption cases built on expansive theories of official action.
Long term: The ruling made prosecutors more cautious and contributed to a trend of courts tightening the screws on how public‑corruption statutes are applied.
Why It's Relevant
Like McDonnell, the Lopez–Full Play saga shows how narrow readings of corruption laws can flip seemingly strong cases and embolden calls to rein in prosecutors.
The 2015 FIFA Crackdown That Redrew World Soccer
2015–2020What Happened
In 2015, U.S. prosecutors unsealed indictments against top FIFA and confederation officials, alleging vast kickback schemes for media and marketing rights. Raids in Zurich and guilty pleas worldwide toppled long‑time leaders and triggered leadership change at FIFA and regional bodies.
Outcome
Short term: Dozens of officials and executives were convicted or pled guilty, and FIFA promised sweeping governance reforms.
Long term: The cases raised expectations that the U.S. would police global soccer’s money flows—an expectation now colliding with legal limits and political retrenchment.
Why It's Relevant
The decision to walk away from the Lopez–Full Play case marks a sharp contrast with the aggressive enforcement posture that defined the original FIFA crackdown.