Netflix documentary reveals how Qatar bribed FIFA officials to win World Cup hosting rights

A longstanding whistleblower allegation that Qatar offered cash to voters during its winning bid to host the World Cup was denied again by officials in a Netflix documentary released Wednesday.

The four-part show “FIFA Uncovered” directly put the question to key Qatari official Hassan Al-Thawadi — the bid campaign leader in 2010, now heading the World Cup organizing committee — of whether he took part in offering $1.5 million to each of three FIFA voters from Africa.

Recently, ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter said that Picking Qatar to host the football World Cup was a mistake.

In his first major interview since being acquitted in July of financial misconduct at FIFA, 86-year-old Blatter told a Swiss newspaper that Qatar is "too small and football and the World Cup are too big for that."

Blatter also repeated his claim that an expected US victory swung towards Qatar following pressure from the then-UEFA president Michel Platini.

"It was a bad choice. And I was responsible for that as president at the time," said Blatter, who has long said he voted for the United States.

The decision to award the World Cup to Qatar has been marked by controversy, from allegations of corruption to concerns over human rights and working conditions for construction workers.

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