José María Marín, Former CBF President and FIFA Gate Convict, Dies at 93

José María Marín, the former president of Brazil’s football federation (CBF) and a central figure in the FIFA Gate scandal, died this Sunday at the age of 93, according to GloboEsporte. He had been hospitalized at the Sirio-Libanês hospital in São Paulo. The cause of death was not disclosed. His wake was held in the city later that same day.

Marín led the CBF from 2012 to 2015, following the resignation of Ricardo Teixeira. His involvement in football dated back decades, beginning with an unremarkable career as a professional player and later evolving into leadership, continuing the path of his father Joaquín Marín, a Spanish immigrant who helped popularize boxing in Brazil.

A trained lawyer, Marín also pursued a political career. He served as governor of São Paulo state from May 1982 to March 1983, during Brazil's last military dictatorship.

In March 2015, as part of the sweeping FIFA corruption investigation, Marín was banned from all football-related activities. In December 2017, a federal court in Brooklyn sentenced him to four years in prison for corruption. He was also fined $1.2 million and had assets worth over $3.3 million confiscated. He was released in March 2020 on humanitarian grounds.