A Fifa staff member from Britain has been arrested in Miami on suspicion of having sex with an underage boy while on a work trip from Zurich last year.
The global governing body, which is hosting the next World Cup and Club World Cup in the United States, confirmed the member of staff had been suspended over “serious” allegations.
Federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations confirmed that Jack Coles, 39, who appears to be a senior figure in Fifa’s music and audio department, was held on Friday at a hotel near Fifa’s offices in the Coral Gables neighbourhood.
Coles is named a project leader with Fifa Sound, the department that organises music for the body’s events and broadcasts.
He is alleged to have met a 14-year-old boy through a men’s dating app last October, and allegedly tried to meet with him again last week. The boy reportedly told Coles he was 16, and was later in contact with federal investigators.
A Homeland Security Investigations special agent reportedly wrote in a federal criminal complaint that the suspect first encountered the boy on the app Grindr after he flew from Zurich on October 6 to stay at a Coral Gables hotel.
They allegedly communicated on Instagram, where the 14-year-old boy is claimed to have told the suspect “I’m 16 btw [by the way]”, which is under the age of consent in Florida. “So [you’re] 16,” authorities claim the British man texted the teen. “We [can’t] have sex right you gotta be 18?”
The complaint states the boy replied, “Yes.”
“Sweet ok,” the suspect is accused of replying. “I don’t want to break any laws!”
Agents allege that the suspect did break the law when he had the boy come to the Hyatt Regency at 50 Alhambra Plaza. After their meeting, the suspect allegedly messaged the boy: “Youre gunna be my miami boyfriend by the way.”
Agents eventually commandeered the alleged victim’s Instagram account to pose as the teen. A sting was then set up, following which Coles was arrested earlier this month.
“Fifa is aware of ongoing legal proceedings in Miami,” a governing body statement said. “The alleged offences are serious and of a personal matter with no link to his work at Fifa. The individual has been suspended with immediate effect and until further notice from all duties. Fifa has no further comment at this stage.”
Fifa opened a United States base in Coral Gables in 2023 ahead of two major tournaments being hosted in the country. It also moved its legal department there from headquarters in Zurich.
The first 32-team Club World Cup, being played in 11 US cities, starts on June 14 in Miami, when Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami play Al-Ahly of Egypt at the Miami Dolphins’ home stadium.
The US also stages most of the 104 games at the men’s 2026 World Cup it is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19 next year. The Miami stadium will host seven games.
The suspect was reportedly held at Broward County Main Jail after his initial arrest, with Broward Sheriff’s Office records stating he left custody on Monday.
