Born in Costa Rica · Nationality Costa Rican — Business / finance / tech

Eduardo Li

Documented profile covering 11 controversies, including “Coram nobis petition to overturn conviction, opposed by DOJ” and “Costa Rican investigation into 8,000 footballs and 5,000 kits never entering country”.

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Profile No. 2467 · Updated on 12 October 2026

11Documented controversies

13Sources

1 followed by a conviction

§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology

I. Documented controversies

Case · 8 documented stages

Coram nobis petition to overturn conviction, opposed by DOJ

Conviction

January 2024–15 September 2026

Coram nobis petition to overturn conviction, opposed by DOJ

Conviction

Li sought to overturn his conviction through a coram nobis petition, citing developments in FIFAGate case law. Following an initial petition in 2024, he filed a supplemental brief in July 2026, sought the return of $683,000 and subsequently claimed larger amounts. The federal government opposed the petition in August 2026.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Protagonist is the complainant

Sources · 5

[1]
U.S. District Court, E.D.N.Y.Eduardo Li Coram Nobis Petition — Document 2041Court recordVery high reliability
[2]
Dr. DocketUnited States v. Webb — 2026 coram nobis docketCourt recordHigh reliability
[3]
La Nación Costa RicaEduardo Li solicita en EE. UU. anular su condena por el FIFAGate y que le devuelvan suma millonariaPressHigh reliability
[4]
CRHoyJusticia de EE. UU. se opone a petición de Eduardo Li para anular condena por FIFAGatePressHigh reliability
[5]
La Nación Costa RicaEduardo Li reclama millonaria suma a Estados Unidos si logra anular su condenaPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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13 November–6 December 2018

US sentence: time served, two years' supervised release, fine and forfeiture

Conviction

Judge Pamela Chen imposed a sentence of time served, approximately nine and a half months, together with two years' supervised release, a $15,000 fine plus $300 in special assessments, and maintained a forfeiture order of $668,000.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Personally implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
AS / EFEEduardo Li, expresidente de la Fedefut, en libertad vigiladaNews agencyHigh reliability
[2]
U.S. District Court, E.D.N.Y.Eduardo Li Coram Nobis Petition — Document 2041Court recordVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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7 October 2016

Federal guilty plea to racketeering and wire fraud

Conviction

Before a federal court in Brooklyn, Li pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy. He also agreed to forfeit $668,000.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Personally implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
U.S. Department of JusticeFormer President Of The Costa Rican Soccer Federation And Member-Elect Of The FIFA Executive Committee Pleads Guilty To Racketeering And Corruption ChargesProsecutor's statementVery high reliability
[2]
La Nación Costa RicaEduardo Li solicita en EE. UU. anular su condena por el FIFAGate y que le devuelvan suma millonariaPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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27 May 2015

Arrest in Zurich during first wave of FIFAGate

Formally charged

Eduardo Li, then president of the Costa Rican football federation, a member of the CONCACAF executive committee and an elected member of FIFA's executive committee, was arrested in Zurich at the request of US authorities alongside six other football officials.

Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
U.S. Department of JusticeNine FIFA Officials And Five Corporate Executives Indicted For Racketeering Conspiracy And CorruptionProsecutor's statementVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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années 2010–2015

Bribes linked to media and marketing rights for World Cup qualifiers

Conviction

Li admitted soliciting and receiving bribes from sports marketing companies in exchange for awarding media and marketing rights relating, in particular, to World Cup qualifying matches in the UNCAF region.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Personally implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
U.S. Department of JusticeFormer President Of The Costa Rican Soccer Federation And Member-Elect Of The FIFA Executive Committee Pleads Guilty To Racketeering And Corruption ChargesProsecutor's statementVery high reliability
[2]
FIFAIndependent Ethics Committee bans former Costa Rican officialSports governing bodyVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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années 2010–2015

Bribes in exchange for authorising Costa Rica national team friendlies

Conviction

In the same case, Li admitted receiving improper benefits in exchange for authorising international friendly matches played by the Costa Rican national team.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Personally implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
U.S. Department of JusticeFormer President Of The Costa Rican Soccer Federation And Member-Elect Of The FIFA Executive Committee Pleads Guilty To Racketeering And Corruption ChargesProsecutor's statementVery high reliability
[2]
FIFAIndependent Ethics Committee bans former Costa Rican officialSports governing bodyVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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2014–2015

$500,000 bribe agreement for national team's kit sponsorship

Conviction

Li agreed to a $500,000 bribe to favour a national team kit sponsorship contract. According to his own guilty plea, he had received approximately $230,000; the Panamanian company Mimo subsequently admitted paying more than $300,000 before his arrest.

State of the evidence: Admitted by the person
Attribution: Personally implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
U.S. Department of JusticeFormer President Of The Costa Rican Soccer Federation And Member-Elect Of The FIFA Executive Committee Pleads Guilty To Racketeering And Corruption ChargesProsecutor's statementVery high reliability
[2]
U.S. Department of JusticePanamanian Company Pleads Guilty to Bribing Soccer OfficialProsecutor's statementVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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2014

Misappropriation of over $90,000 in FIFA funds intended for 2014 U17 Women's World Cup

Conviction

Li admitted misappropriating more than $90,000 in funds sent by FIFA to the federation for organising the U17 Women's World Cup in Costa Rica, using false invoices for his own benefit.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Personally implicated

Sources · 1

[1]
U.S. Department of JusticeFormer President Of The Costa Rican Soccer Federation And Member-Elect Of The FIFA Executive Committee Pleads Guilty To Racketeering And Corruption ChargesProsecutor's statementVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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2016–2020

Costa Rican investigation into 8,000 footballs and 5,000 kits never entering country

Investigation

In Costa Rica, prosecutors investigated two invoices for 8,000 footballs and 5,000 kits that, according to the investigation, never entered the country, despite $172,000 having been transferred from federation accounts to an entity in Panama. The transfer orders notably bore Li's signature.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
La Nación Costa RicaInvestigación de fiscalía tica: los 8.000 balones y 5.000 uniformes comprados por Eduardo Li y Rafael Vargas nunca entraron a Costa RicaPressHigh reliability
[2]
La Nación Costa RicaEduardo Li quedó en libertad en EE. UU., pero en Costa Rica tiene proceso abierto por denuncia de FedefútbolPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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24 February 2019

Restitution order benefiting football organisations

Civil / administrative proceedings

The federal court determined restitution relating to losses suffered by FEDEFUT, CONCACAF and FIFA. The order addresses, in particular, Li's attributable share and joint obligations with other convicted defendants.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Personally implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
U.S. District Court, E.D.N.Y. / GovInfoRestitution Order, United States v. Eduardo Li and Rafael SalgueroCourt decisionVery high reliability
[2]
U.S. District Court, E.D.N.Y.Eduardo Li Coram Nobis Petition — Document 2041Court recordVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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21 April 2017

FIFA: lifetime ban from all football-related activities

Civil / administrative proceedings

The adjudicatory chamber of FIFA's Ethics Committee found Li guilty of breaches of rules on conduct, loyalty, disclosure, conflicts of interest and corruption, and banned him for life from all football-related activities.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 1

[1]
FIFAIndependent Ethics Committee bans former Costa Rican officialSports governing bodyVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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II. Constellation of documented links

No documented link with another published profile for now.

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

III. Has something changed?

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