For years, even before the recent drama surrounding the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, FIFA has been one of the governing sports bodies with a long history of scandals, controversies, and other issues affecting the sport both on and off the pitch. In the past, there have been multiple TV specials and documentaries on the various corruption scandals, with Ben Affleck attempting to make a movie about them at one point, but few compare to the scale and cope of the new Netflix docuseries, FIFA Uncovered.
Released less than two weeks before the opening match of the global sport and cultural event, this engaging political, true crime, and sports documentary series goes into great detail about FIFA, its history, and scandals that have made the headlines over the years. If this is the first you’re hearing of the 2022 Netflix series, worry not because we’re about to break it down now…
FIFA Uncovered Dives Into The Various Scandals And Controversies That Have Rocked The Soccer World
The opening minutes of FIFA Uncovered are dedicated to the 2015 corruption case, which saw more than a dozen high-ranking officials in the organization be indicted following a lengthy investigation by the FBI and IRS-CI into reports of wire fraud, racketeering, and money laundering. If you recall, this was not only one of the biggest sports stories that year, but also one of the most significant news stories in general, due to the widespread popularity of soccer and the ramifications of FIFA’s actions. And this is all before the opening credits.
FIFA Uncovered Details How The Organization Became A Business And Political Machine
FIFA Uncovered doesn’t just focus on the corruption and scandals that have rocked the sporting authority over the years. The docuseries also explores how the organization became so powerful in the first place, as well as how it became a global business and political machine that was a far stretch from the modest roots of the group in the early 20th Century.
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter Is Interviewed At Length
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who was the subject of 2015 box office bomb United Passions, is front and center throughout FIFA Uncovered. Not only is his ascension to power and alleged involvement in the various scandals unfolded throughout the docuseries, the sports figure is also interviewed throughout its duration. This creates an interesting dynamic, because, one minute, you have journalists talking about Blatter’s wrongdoings, and then the next, Blatter is talking about his experiences in the international football arena.
FIFA Uncovered Is Split Into Four Episodes
FIFA Uncovered is split into four episodes ranging anywhere from 52 minutes to 59 minutes in length, and a lot is packed into those four chapters. Each episode focuses on different aspects of the organization, but some of the highlights include the 2015 FIFA corruption scandal, controversies over the successful bids by Russia (2014) and Qatar (2022), and the accusations of bribery that went into the countries receiving the tournaments.
The Docuseries Is Rated TV-14
Unlike Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist, and basketball documentaries like Untold: Malice at the Palace, the new sports docuseries FIFA: Uncovered carries the less restrictive rating of TV-14. This rating is due to the mature themes that come up throughout the docuseries, but nothing touched upon is that graphic in detail.
FIFA Uncovered is currently available to anyone with an active Netflix subscription. If you are looking for a more lighthearted approach to the sport, check out our list of great soccer anime movies worth checking out.
