FIFA extends worldwide ban on man who secretly filmed female players at SCR Altach

FIFA has imposed a worldwide ban on a former official of Austrian club SCR Altach, following his conviction for secretly filming female players, including minors, over a period spanning nearly a decade. The ban, announced on August 31, 2026, means the individual is now barred from any football-related activity in any FIFA member country. What happened and how it came to light The recordings took place between 2018 and 2025, conducted inside spaces where players had every reasonable expectation of privacy, including changing rooms and showers. Austrian authorities discovered the footage not through a sports safeguarding investigation, but as a byproduct of a separate child pornography probe in the fall of 2025. SCR Altach moved quickly once alerted, imposing a club ban on the suspect in October 2025. The Austrian criminal process moved to sentencing by February 23, 2026, when a court handed down a seven-month prison term, suspended for three years, along with a fine of €1,200. Fifteen players were formally identified as victims and received €625 each in compensation, totaling €9,375. Investigators believe the total number of affected players was closer to 30, meaning a significant p...