2 Oct 2013

FIFA escalate World Cup inquiry

5:57 am on 2 October 2013

FIFA's chief investigator is escalating his inquiry into the voting procedures for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals which have been dogged by controversy.

Michael Garcia, a former New York attorney and head of the FIFA ethics committee's investigative unit, will visit every country directly involved in the voting for the finals awarded to Russia for 2018 and Qatar for 2022.

A source close to the bidding process has claims it's very well known within FIFA that there was undoubted political interference relating to Qatar's bid, with votes promised to one country beter being switched to Qatar.

FIFA will this week consider whether to move the tournament to a new date, away from the fierce heat of a Qatari summer.

There will also be consideration given to allegations about the voting process in 2010 when FIFA awarded the two finals on the same day, something FIFA president Sepp Blatter has since publicly admitted was a mistake.