Jeffrey Webb: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Jeffrey Webb, President of CONCACAF and the Cayman Islands Football Association and FIFA Vice President at a meeting in March 2015. (Getty)

Jeffrey Webb is one of more than 10 high-ranking FIFA officials facing corruption charges in the United States, the New York Times reports.

Webb, 50, is the president of CONCACAF, the vice president of FIFA and the president of the Cayman Islands Football Association.

The charges against the officials, which have not yet been announced, include wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering, according to the Times report. The officials were arrested by Swiss authorities at the request of the United States Department of Justice as FIFA held its annual meeting in Zurich.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. He Leads the North American Football Association’s Governing Body

Jeffrey Webb in 2014. (Getty)

Webb is the president of CONCACAF, which is the governing body for soccer in North America and the Caribbean. He has been CONCACAF’s president since 2012.

The former CONCACAF president, Jack Warner, is also facing indictment, the Times reports.

Webb had been seen as a force to turnaround the CONCACAF after years of corruption under Warner, who has been previously accused of taking bribes and other corrupt practices.

“We started on a journey two-and-a-half years ago of really reforming our confederation and becoming the catalyst for real transition,” Webb told SI.com in March. “I believe when you look at the investment we’ve made in governance, we’ve made so much progress, but we have so much more work to do.”

His biography on the CONCACAF website states:

As a natural and charismatic leader of an industry that transcends all borders, Webb stands as a global visionary whose commitment to development and reform is strongly impacting the world of football not only at the regional level but also internationally.

He became the fourth President in the Confederation’s history and the youngest leader of any regional association within FIFA to reach this position. As CONCACAF President, his core focus is to restructure the Confederation by building solid foundations to manage, develop and promote the game with a resilient commitment to inclusiveness, accountability and transparency.

2. He Has Been President of the Cayman Islands Football Association Since 1991

(Getty)

Webb has led his native country’s football association since 1991, leading the Cayman Islands FA into both CONCACAF and FIFA in 1992, bringing the small Caribbean country to the world soccer stage.

He has also previously served as the president of a local soccer team, Strikers FC, in his native country.

Webb says on his LinkedIn page, “He has improved accessibility to the sport in every district. His commitment to youth, particularly at the grassroots level, has created opportunity and unprecedented growth in the sport that transcends far beyond the field of play.

In 2009, the opening of the Home of Cayman Football and The Cayman Centre for Excellence proved to be a culmination of all his efforts.”

3. Webb Is a ‘Successful’ Bank Executive

Britain’s Prince William, Duke of Cambridge with Webb. Getty

According to his profile on the CONCACAF website, Webb “has had a successful career as a banker with Fidelity Ltd., one of the largest banks in the Cayman Islands, developing, managing and directing investment banking, corporate finance and risk management.”

He is a graduate of Hillsborough Community College in Florida.

4. He Oversees FIFA’s Anti-Discrimination Task Force

Webb with FIFA President Sepp Blatter at a press conference. Getty

FIFA President Sepp Blatter appointed Webb in 2013 to oversee FIFA’s anti-discrimination and anti-racism task force. He was critical of FIFA’s efforts to stop racism at the 2014 World Cup:

“There is no reason why someone should be entering the stadium clearly displaying their intent. We at Fifa and the local organising committee should be doing a much better job,” Webb told The Guardian.

5. Details of the Charges Haven’t Been Announced

FIFA President Sepp Blatter announces the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments. (Getty)

According to the Wall Street Journal, the indictments could be unsealed in federal court Wednesday morning in New York.

The United States Justice Department has the authority to bring charges against foreigners and foreign-based organizations based on small connections to the U.S., like using an American-based bank or Internet Service Provider, according to the Times.

The case was brought in the Eastern District of New York, where it was overseen by now-U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

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