Former Honduran president pleads guilty in FIFA corruption case

Rafael Callejas, who served as president of FENAFUTH between 2002 and 2015, pleaded guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy at the federal court in Brooklyn, New York.

Former FENAFUTH president Rafael Callejas was the President of Honduras from 1990 to 1994.

Rafael Callejas, the former president of the Honduran Football Federation (FENAFUTH), has pleaded guilty to his part in bribery schemes at FIFA that are under investigation by United States authorities.

Callejas, who served as president of FENAFUTH between 2002 and 2015, pleaded guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy at the federal court in Brooklyn, New York.

The charges are in connection to his receipt of bribes in exchange for the awarding of contracts for the media and marketing rights to FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.

According to court filings and facts presented during the plea proceeding, Callejas negotiated and accepted bribes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to award contracts for the media and marketing rights to the Honduran national team's home World Cup qualifier matches for the 2014, 2018 and 2022 editions.

Callejas, who served as the president of Honduras from 1990 to 1994, faces a maximum sentence of 20 years for each count and has agreed to forfeit $650,000.

The guilty plea is part of an ongoing US investigation into corruption in world football's governing body.