Hugo and Mariano Jinkis, the father-son duo accused of paying bribes for FIFA TV and marketing rights, boarded a commercial flight from Buenos Aires to New York on Monday after more than a decade on the lam. Their sudden surrender to federal prosecutors in Brooklyn marks a dramatic reversal in the long-running corruption probe that has delivered over 30 convictions and hundreds of millions in recovered funds since 2015.

The Jinkises were initially placed under house arrest in Argentina in 2015, but a judge blocked their extradition. Prosecutors had been preparing a plea negotiation when the solicitor general requested dismissal of indictments against Full Play Group — the Jinkises' company — and former Fox executive Hernán López. Their arrival suggests prosecutors are scrambling to salvage their high-profile case amid mounting political pressure to unwind it.

More than $201 million in restitution has flowed to FIFA, which expects $11 billion in World Cup revenue. The plea talks come as a whistle-blower revealed two Conmebol officials personally pocketed over $5 million in recovery funds meant for soccer development. If the Jinkises plead guilty, prosecutors secure their first convictions since 2023 — a lifeline for a case that has lost momentum.