FIFA May Postpone World Cup Vote Over Allegations

FIFA is understood to be considering postponing the decision on who will host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

    Football’s world governing body is investigating allegations two of its officials offered to sell their votes.

    Reporters from The Sunday Times posed as lobbyists for a consortium of American companies who wanted to bring the tournament to the United States.

The secret ballot is currently set to take place on 2 December with England among four bids for the 2018 showpiece.

The others are Russia and joint bids from Netherlands/Belgium and Spain/Portugal.

Two undercover journalists approached Amos Adamu, a Nigerian who serves as a FIFA executive committee member.

Adamu, who is president of the West African Football Union, allegedly told the undercover journalists he wanted $800,000 (£500,000) to build four artificial football pitches in Nigeria.

This would be completely against FIFA’s rules. A video appears to show Adamu asking for money to be paid to him directly for endorsing the US bid.

In the video, he was asked whether the money for a “private project” would have an effect on the way he voted.

He replied: “Obviously, it will have an effect. Of course it will. Because certainly if you are to invest in that, that means you also want the vote.”

Reynald Temarii, president of the Oceania Football Confederation, is also alleged to have asked for a payment, in his case to finance a sports academy.

A statement from FIFA read: “FIFA and the FIFA ethics committee have closely monitored the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups and will continue to do so.

“FIFA has already requested to receive all of the information and documents related to this matter, and is awaiting to receive this material.

“In any case, FIFA will immediately analyse the material available and only once this analysis has concluded will FIFA be able to decide on any potential next steps.