U.S. Supreme Court decisions and a lower court ruling have called into question the legal basis for prosecutions.
Several former soccer officials argue that the bribery schemes for which they were convicted are no longer considered a crime in the United States. Emboldened by the overturned convictions, they are asking to have their records expunged and their money returned. The legal debate comes amid growing concern that global sports organizations such as FIFA operate in a world of their own, untouchable by authorities.