Coca-Cola, McDonald's Pressure FIFA To Undergo Immediate, Independently Reviewed Reform

Two of FIFA's most prominent sponsors, Coca-Cola and McDonald's, are calling on the disgraced international soccer organization to submit to immediate reform policed by an independent commission without ties to the organization. Over the past several months, FIFA has been the subject of intense criticism over its corrupt politics and unsafe working conditions for construction employees.

Last week, in a letter addressed to FIFA, Coca-Cola urged the group to agree to a complete overhaul with help from "one or more eminent impartial leaders to manage the efforts necessary to help reform FIFA's governance and its human rights requirements."

The letter continued: "We believe that establishing this independent commission will be the most credible way for FIFA to approach its reform process and is necessary to build back the trust it has lost. We are calling for this approach out of our deep commitment to ethics and human rights and in the interest of seeing FIFA succeed."

McDonald's followed suit, addressing these issues in its own letter. "Recent allegations and indictments have severely tarnished FIFA in a way that strikes at the very heart of our sponsorship," a spokesperson for the company said.

"As a result, we have expressed our concerns directly to FIFA. We believe FIFA's internal controls and compliance culture are inconsistent with expectations McDonald's has for its business partners throughout the world. We are not satisfied with FIFA's current handling of the recent incidents that go clearly against McDonald's culture and values. FIFA must now implement meaningful changes to restore trust and credibility with fans and sponsors alike."