Football is hugely important to a lot of poor countries who 'export' players to the rich leagues in developing nations. You can bet anyone who makes it, even in lower leagues, is supporting large numbers of people back home.
Many of the very successful ones invest their wealth at home and become politically influential: George Weah is a force in Liberian politics (and seems to be a fairly respectable chap); when the Toure brothers and Didier Drogba opine on Ivorian politics their whole country listens (I think one was even instrumental in getting a cease-fire in the recent civil conflict at one stage); Marcel Desailly and Patrick Virera both run very good academies/charities which, if nothing else, provide children with a good education in countries were education is no longer free, thanks to the IMF. They have literally got children off the street. Rich multi-nationals who would not otherwise donate fall over themselves to support these initiatives.
Staging a tournament well (e.g. Ghana in African Nations Cup) puts your otherwise little-known or cared about country in the spotlight in a way nothing else does. It isn't fanciful to suggest that it can lead to increased inward investment and tourism. The whole thing now generates billions in revenue, plus kudos and influence. So football really matters.
FIFA is the governing body of ALL world football. And it is a stinking mass of corruption (not just straight financial misconduct but also political corruption and the indulging of prejudice and grudges, in my view). This recent spat is just the latest, not the only scandal.
People stay in post too long. It is up to countries' respective football asssociations to chose their delegates to FIFA, but they are permitted to go on sitting for years. The current executive committee of FIFA features a bunch of men who have been in power there since the 70s.
Old Seppl may have masterminded the explosion of football and the World Cup into a multi-billion pound business, but on his watch the corruption allegations have come thick and fast. He has also come out with outrages like women should perhaps play in hotpants or other skimpy attire to increase interest in women's football.
One word of caution though-Russia is a notoriously corrupt coutry but actually their World Cup bid was genuinely a strong one and there was a really good case for giving them an historic first World Cup. They may well have beaten us fair and square. Not saying they actually did, but it's entirely possible.
Even my 14 year old nephew realises that the Qatar win, on the other hand, was a bag of shite.