Visa threatens to pull its FIFA sponsorship without proper reforms

FIFA sponsor Visa has threatened to cut its ties with the scandal-tarnished governing body if the credit card company isn't satisfied with reforms.

LONDON (AP) — FIFA sponsor Visa has threatened to cut its ties with the scandal-tarnished governing body if the credit card company isn't satisfied with reforms.

A Visa executive appeared Wednesday alongside representatives from McDonald's, Coca-Cola and Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch at a British parliamentary hearing into FIFA.

Visa vice chair Ellen Richey says the company wants to see a more independent reforms process. The only independent member of FIFA's reform committee is chairman Francois Carrard, with the other panel members appointed by the global soccer confederations.

Discussing the panel's lack of independence, Richey said Visa has informed FIFA that "if we are not satisfied in that regard we will reassess our sponsorship."

• MORE: Blatter goes off on Platini, England; dishes on 2022 WC voting

When asked, the other three companies said they had not threatened to cut ties with FIFA.

Visa's contract runs through 2022.

GALLERY: Faces of the FIFA scandal

Faces of the FIFA Scandal

Sepp Blatter

Elyxandro Cegarra/Panoramic/Icon Sportswire

FIFA president

Jerome Valcke

Dmitry Lovetsky/AP

FIFA general secretary

Michel Platini

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

UEFA president; FIFA Vice President; FIFA presidential hopeful

Jack Warner

Sean Drakes/LatinContent/Getty Images

Ex–CONCACAF president; FIFA Vice President

Jeffrey Webb

Matt Rourke/AP

Ex–Cayman Islands federation and CONCACAF president; FIFA Vice President

Chuck Blazer

Mike Hewitt/FIFA via Getty Images

Ex-CONCACAF general secretary; FIFA executive committee

Alfredo Hawit

Orlando Sierra/AFP/Getty Images

CONCACAF President; FIFA vice president, executive committee; Former president, Honduras football federation

Juan Angel Napout

Martin Rose/FIFA/Getty Images

CONMEBOL president, FIFA vice president, executive committee; Former president, Paraguay football federation

Jose Luis Meiszner

Juan Mabromata/AFP/Getty Images

CONMEBOL general secretary

Marco Polo del Nero

Buda Mendes/Getty Images

Former FIFA executive committee; President, Brazil football federation

Ricardo Teixeira

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Former FIFA executive committee; Former president, Brazil football federation

Eduardo Li

Jamie McDonald/FIFA via Getty Images

Ex–Costa Rica federation president; FIFA, CONCACAF executive committees

Eugenio Figueredo

Alan Diaz/AP

Ex–Uruguay federation and CONMEBOL president; FIFA Vice President

Jose Maria Marin

Buda Mendes/Getty Images

Ex–Brazil federation president; CONMEBOL executive committee

Rafael Salguero

Alexander Hassenstein/FIFA/Getty Images

Former FIFA executive committee; Former president, Guatemalan football federation

Manuel Burga

Ernesto Benavides/AFP/Getty Images

FIFA development committee; Former president, Peru football federation

Ariel Alvarado

Arnulfo Franco/AP

Former president, Panama football federation; FIFA disciplinary committee

Eduardo Deluca

LatinContent/STR/Getty Images

Former CONMEBOL, Argentina football federation general secretary

Luís Chiriboga

Rodrigo Buendia/AFP/Getty Images

CONMEBOL executive committee; President, Ecuador football federation

Rafael Callejas

Clive Mason/FIFA/Getty Images

FIFA television and marketing committee; Former president, Honduras; Former president, Honduras football federation

Rafael Esquivel

Leo Ramirez/AFP/Getty Images

Ex–Venezuela federation president; CONMEBOL executive committee

Carlos Chavez

Aizar Raldes/AFP/Getty Images

CONMEBOL treasurer; Former president, Bolivia football federation

Nicolas Leoz

Jorge Saenz/AP

Ex–CONMEBOL president, FIFA executive committee

Julio Rocha

Esteban Felix/AP

Ex–Nicaragua federation and Central American Football Union president

Romer Osuna

Aizar Raldes/AFP/Getty Images

FIFA audit and compliance committee; Former CONMEBOL treasurer.

Alejandro Burzaco

Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images

CEO of Torneos y Competencias

Aaron Davidson

Kevin Hagen/AP

President, Traffic Sports USA

Hugo Jinkis

Maxi Failla/AP

President, Full Play Group

Mariano Jinkis

Maxi Failla/AP

Vice President, Full Play Group

Loretta Lynch

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

U.S. Attorney General

Michael Lauber

Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

Switzerland Attorney General