Blatter said Qatari organisers would have to ask to change their hosting plan from the hottest months, despite recent hints by FIFA's top official that its ruling board - which chose the tiny desert state - could intervene on medical advice.

Commenting on an issue that has stirred controversy long after a vote in December 2010, Blatter told reporters: "It has not been put into question by FIFA's executive committee, therefore it still stands.

"Then all of a sudden people have realised that when playing in summer it will be very difficult because it is very hot."

The subject of Qatar's World Cup drew questions, despite not featuring on the 25-member executive committee's two-day agenda.

Meanwhile, committee members - missing Sri Lankan official Vernon Manilal Fernando, who is provisionally suspended during an ethics probe - failed to reach agreement on imposing age- and term-limits on FIFA positions, including the presidency.

On this key element of wide-ranging governance and anti-corruption reforms, the board compromised by asking FIFA's congress of 209 football countries to decide the issue on 31 May in Mauritius.

There, FIFA nations will also be asked to create two more ruling committee places for women, bringing the quota to three on a 27-member board. Its first female member is due to be elected at the FIFA Congress in May.

A slate of FIFA rule changes agreed Thursday omitted several other proposals described as "fundamental" by Swiss law professor Mark Pieth, who was appointed by Blatter to lead an expert group of advisers on the reforms.

"He (Pieth) cannot say he is FIFA. He is not, he is just a counsellor," countered FIFA board member Theo Zwanziger, a German lawyer, after presenting the reform slate. "Since when can a counsellor implement 100 per cent of what he wants?"

Blatter ordered the two-year reforms program after cash-for-votes scandals and other allegations of wrongdoing clouded his re-election in 2011. They also overshadowed the contests which saw Russia and Qatar chosen to host the World Cup in 2018 and 2022, respectively.

Speculation about 2022 - and if Qatar should face a re-run vote - has flared regularly since.

"All the other rumours or information or tendencies to play when and where, these are not relevant for FIFA's executive committee stand on the decision," Blatter said.

The committee was meanwhile told to expect decisions by April 15 in a separate ethics investigation of a decade-old World Cup kickbacks case, which could implicate panel members Nicolas Leoz and Issa Hayatou.

Platini echoed comments made by Britain's FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce that the searing heat in the Asian country will make playing football unbearable.

"In the summer, at 50 degrees, you can not possibly play football in Qatar," Platini said in an interview with Germany's leading sports magazine, Kicker.

This is not the first time the former France midfielder has stated his opposition to holding the Qatar tournament in the summer and he is supportive of a winter break for domestic championships.

Platini also responded to FIFA president Sepp Blatter's comments that the decision to stage Euro 2020 across the continent would rip the "heart and soul" out of the tournament.

European football's governing body announced in December that it had taken the unprecedented step of hosting the event in several cities throughout Europe.

And Platini defended the decision, saying: "The name European fits better than ever, as the Euros will be held for the first time in Europe."

The Premier League reiterated its strong opposition in a statement but its stance was undermined by Richards, who admitted the tournament cannot be staged in the summer due to the heat.

Jim Boyce, Britain's FIFA vice-president from Northern Ireland, has now backed UEFA president Michel Platini's call for the tournament to be held during the winter.

Richards, speaking to Sky Sports News at the Securing Sport conference in Qatar, said: "I think they will play (the World Cup) at a time that is proper for football but they will have to speak to the leagues in Europe.

"They will have to agree proper times when we can start and finish.

"At the moment it has a tremendous amount of implications for Europe. For us, at this minute, the answer is no.

"But, if we take a proper view, we have to find a way to have a winter spell where we don't play and I think common sense will prevail.

"We've got FIFA now saying that medical people are saying that they can't play in Qatar in the summer because of the heat, which is probably right.

"I think over the next few years, things will change and they will come to a compromise."

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore has always been fiercely opposed to any move to disrupt the domestic season and that position remains.

A Premier League spokesman said: "The Premier League's view remains unchanged. We are opposed to the concept of a winter World Cup for very obvious practical reasons that would impact on all of European domestic football."

Boyce believes the searing heat of July in Qatar, where temperatures often reach more than 45 degrees Centigrade, will be too much for players and spectators even with the promise of air-conditioned stadiums.

Boyce told the Press Association: "I was not part of the process that gave the World Cup to Qatar, but my feeling is that common sense should prevail.

"The World Cup is the greatest event in football and from a spectator point of view it has to be played at a time of year when people can enjoy it in comfort.

"People I know who live in Qatar say it would be very uncomfortable for the fans. There is also a medical and health concern for both players and spectators and if it is going to be safer to play it in January instead of July then I would be in favour of that."

Boyce insisted that, given enough notice, it should not caused too much disruption.

He added: "Many other countries already have a winter break so for them it should not be too problematic.

"England is probably the main country where there is no winter break but I believe that even there if they are given enough notice then for just one season it should be possible."

FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke said earlier this month that the 2022 World Cup could be moved to the winter if research shows holding the tournament in the summer heat would be dangerous for players.

Michel D'Hooghe, the chairman of FIFA's medical committee, has also backed the move to play it in the winter.

The international calendar has yet to be fixed beyond 2018, so there is scope for the world governing body to allow the change.

Meanwhile, FIFA's executive committee are due to hear on Wednesday or Thursday the outcome of an ethics committee investigation into the ISL scandal.

The case, involving the payment of millions of pounds in bribes to senior FIFA members by now defunct marketing partners ISL, has been scrutinised by FIFA ethics committee investigator Michael J Garcia.

Wednesday will be the first meeting between Sepp Blatter and Platini since the FIFA president made critical remarks about UEFA's decision to play EURO 2020 across the continent rather than in one country.

Blatter also made comments about Platini's opposition to goal-line technology in an interview with Spanish sports daily AS.

Blatter said: "It's not UEFA, it's Platini who doesn't want it. Only Platini. The federations, the leagues, the referees, the player, they all want goal-line technology. If Platini doesn't want it, it's a personal reason, but it will happen."

Valcke said the request to move the timing of the finals must come from the host - unless FIFA's executive committee decides that the medical risks of playing the tournament in the extreme heat of June are too great.

UEFA president Michel Platini has reiterated his call to move the Qatar tournament to winter, but his counterpart at the CONCACAF federation of countries in north and central America and the Caribbean insists it should remain in the summer.

Valcke said the fact the international calendar had not been fixed beyond 2018 made moving the 2022 finals possible, but that it would need the agreement of all of football - and so far the English Premier League have been fiercely opposed to any interruption of the domestic season.

Speaking in Edinburgh after the International FA Board meeting, Valcke said: "Qatar has to tell us, 'we want to move the World Cup from summer to winter'.

"I can tell you there is no working group within FIFA thinking and working on what it means to move the World Cup from summer to winter for the time being.

"The international calendar has been agreed for 2015-2018, meaning that we kept open all potential for period 2019 to 2022. We have time. We in FIFA have never said never, we have just said we are waiting for you [Qatar] to officially ask FIFA to look at the potential to move the World Cup from summer to winter - and that has not happened yet."

"Qatar is perfectly aware and 2014 is not the deadline - it can be even in 2015. The most important thing is to make sure work with all stakeholders and make sure there is full agreement with all parties, leagues, clubs, and we would have to find eight weeks in the mid-season to play the World Cup."

Valcke said FIFA's executive committee would only make a unilateral decision if there was strong medical evidence in favour of a change.

He added: "The FIFA ExCo has the power to make decisions and if at the FIFA ExCo this issue starts to be a real point for discussion then why not, and then again maybe the FIFA ExCo will say based on medical reports or whatever we really have to look at playing the World Cup not in summer, but in winter.

"I am not saying that the case is closed, but what I'm saying is as long as we have not fixed the international calendar all alternatives are open.

"I think it would be good to have a final decision about when this World Cup will be played and have an agreement between all the football family but it's in 2022, nine years and we have two World Cups to organise in Brazil and Russia, so there is some time."

CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb opposes any move to change the timing, however.

He said: "Historically, the World Cup is always played in June and I would definitely like the World Cup to be played in June, we accepted it. We went through a long process regarding that.

"We all knew the World Cup was going to be played in June and July and as far as I am concerned, that's accepted."

"More labourers will die during construction than the footballers who will step on the pitch," said Burrow, now General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation.

"Qatar is a 21st-century slave state," the 58-year-old told left-wing Avgi daily in an interview.

Burrow said construction workers faced temperatures of up to 50C outdoors during the summer months.

Nepal alone had recorded 191 deaths among its nationals in 2010, most of them heart attacks, she said.

"They work at risk of heart attacks and dehydration ... many die at night from heat strokes," Burrow said, adding that a 'wall of silence' had followed pledges by Qatar authorities to improve work conditions.

Burrow noted that migrant labourers - who form the bulk of Qatar's private workforce - had no choice but to submit to such conditions as their passports are held by their employers upon entering the country.

And she called on construction firms bidding for 2022 World Cup contracts to take this into account.

"The way Qatar takes advantage of migrant workers is a disgrace to football," Burrow said.

"Pressure on Qatar will increase ... Qatar can no longer buy the respect of the international community," she said.

"After seeing the presentation yesterday, and what is probably the best pitch I have ever seen in my life, the pitch on which the match between Spain and Uruguay will be held tonight, we have a very good feeling about the organisation and the infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup," said the 1986 World Cup finalist.

The 57-year-old - who spent 10 years at Bayern Munich and was twice European player of the year (1980, 1981) - also revealed that a decision had yet to be made on exactly when the tournament would be held, bearing in mind the sweltering summer temperatures in Qatar.

"We feel responsibility towards our players, and I would probably say that the only question that we can't respond to is when the 2022 World Cup will begin," said Rummenigge, who is also Bayern's president.

"We know that the discussion regarding the summer conditions such as climate and humidity is a lively topic, but we can't say anything today, because these discussions have to be opened first by FIFA (world governing body).

"Our impression, is that Qatar are not just able to organise the competition, but we have the impression that the world can expect a really fantastic World Cup, because of the stadiums, the hotels and the infrastructure, so we have a very positive impression.

"We are aware about the fact that UEFA president Michel Platini has declared that we should be open to the idea of changing the dates from summer to winter or maybe autumn."

France Football magazine alleged in a 16-page investigation that the designation of football's most prestigious tournament to the tiny Gulf state had 'the whiff of scandal' about it and suggested it should be re-awarded.

Platini himself was said to have attended a 'secret meeting' at the French presidential palace in Paris with then-president Nicolas Sarkozy, Qatari prince Tamin bin Hamad al-Thani and a representative of the then owner of Paris Saint-Germain.

At the 23 November, 2010 meeting - some 10 days before a vote on the 2022 host - it was alleged that Platini was urged to back Qatar as part of a deal for a proposed Qatari buy-out of PSG and the creation of a new television sports channel.

PSG was eventually bought by Qatar Sports Investment in June 2011. BeIn Sport, a subsidiary of Doha-based satellite channel Al-Jazeera, launched last year and took the television rights to show live French football from French broadcaster Canal+.

Platini revealed in a statement to AFP that 'to believe that my choice went to Qatar 2022 in exchange for deals between the French state and Qatar is just pure speculation', denouncing it as a fabrication.

"I don't rule out taking anyone to court who questions my integrity in this vote," he added.

To back up its claims, France Football, which dubbed the affair 'Qatargate', quoted what it said was an internal email in which FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke allegedly wrote that the tiny Gulf state had 'bought the 2022 World Cup'.

Valcke subsequently claimed a misunderstanding and insisted that the tone of the email was 'light-hearted'.

Former FIFA media chief Guido Tognoni, who was kicked out of the organisation in 2003, was also quoted as saying he believed there were 'strong suspicions' that members were compromised over the US$25 million ($23.87 million) Qatari bid.

Key figures in making Qatar's case included the now-banned former Asian football chief Mohammed bin Hammam, FIFA vice-president Julio Grondona of Argentina and Ricardo Teixeira, who quit Brazil's football federation and FIFA over graft claims.

Platini added: "As I've always stated, president Sarkozy would never have asked me to vote for Qatar 2022 because he knows that I'm my own man.

"I made my choice with complete independence following a simple logic ... opening up countries who have never organised major sporting events.

"With the same concern for transparency, it was me who revealed to the media that a few weeks before the vote I was invited to dinner by Nicolas Sarkozy."

FIFA said it had no comment to make but a spokesman pointed out its ethical commission, headed by ex-US prosecutor Michael Garcia, was to conduct a 'wide-ranging inquiry' into the awarding of the 2018 edition to Russia and 2022 to Qatar.

Competition organisers told the publication that it won the bid 'by respecting from beginning to end the highest ethical and moral standards, such as they were defined in the rules and regulations'.

A number of allegations have been made, including by former England 2018 bid leader Lord Triesman, plus claims about 2022 host Qatar which has always denied any wrong-doing.

Russia was awarded the 2018 tournament.

Ethics investigator Michael J Garcia has previously said he would look into the claims and this was reiterated on Thursday.

A statement from Garcia read: "As has been publicly announced, certain allegations regarding events surrounding the bidding for the World Cup 2018 and 2022 were referred to the ethics committee by FIFA following media reports.

"We intend to conduct a thorough review of those allegations, including the evidentiary basis for and credibility of any allegations of individual misconduct."

The ethics committee will also report in March on its investigation into the payment of kickbacks to FIFA members by now-defunct marketing partner ISL.

A new whistleblower hotline is expected to become operational next month.

He says supporters could struggle to cope with the heat outside stadiums.

There have been growing calls to move the tournament to the winter to avoid the sweltering desert heat which is expected to exceed 40C in June and July.

Blatter says players and fans will be fine in the air-conditioned stadiums but 'the World Cup is also outside of the stadia so it is a question mark'.

In a wide-ranging interview on Sky Sports News' special report, football's most powerful man reiterated his belief in introducing points deductions for incidents of racist abuse and confirmed he would be standing down in 2015.

Yasir al-Jamal, technical director of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, told a Doha sports conference that organisers would break ground in early 2013 on the first of a dozen stadiums, and by the end of the 2013 would have design consultants for all the stadiums.

Meanwhile, Qatar 2022 bid spokesman Nasser al-Khater said the country was sticking with a summer tournament, although its plans "would not be affected" if the international community chose to switch to winter.

UEFA President Michel Platini and many top footballers have called for a winter tournament citing Qatar's brutal summer heat.

The World Game: Where and when did your footballing adventure begin?
Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein: I've always loved the game, what it can do for people, the positive impact and so on. I obviously played as a young kid here in Jordan in school and so on; I grew up loving the sport. I was a midfielder; but maybe I wasn't the best on the pitch. Let me put it that way. After that I played other sports, rugby and wrestling and so on.

TWG: How do you manage sitting on various committees at both FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation where you are, by many years, the youngest member present?
PA: I think I've built up a lot of good relationships with people and to be honest I think they've all been very respectful of my ideas and my way, which is I would say is outspoken in a sense, and OK there are people that might disagree with me but there is respect there. It's a big challenge but things are moving. In Asia, it's the same. The only thing is that people will say, hey meetings are taking so much longer but that's the whole point of why we're doing this. We have to have a real debate and discussion and try to make real achievements.

TWG: What was your reaction when Qatar won the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
PA: I've heard a lot of talk about this issue but the most important thing is that anybody who is a member of FIFA if they have the means and capabilities should have the chance to host a World Cup. What's important to me though is that it should be a celebration for the region as a whole. We need that. As you know, there have been so many bad things that have happened and people deserve the right to celebrate. I think the issue of the legacy of the World Cup is important and I think in the past the World Cup legacy has come after the World Cup. I think we have to work from now on what the legacy will be so that you can kick it off when the World Cup takes place. If things are tackled properly in that respect then hopefully it will be great celebration, as it has been elsewhere.

TWG: There's been a lot of talk about logistics with Qatar hosting though do you see any problems?
PA: Sure, the weather and maybe having it in the winter. Will that change happen? I don't know. It's not my decision. I just look at what makes sense. South Africa, for example, was played in the winter so I don't see a big problem with it. If clubs around the world can accept it – in (some parts of) Europe for example you have the winter break anyway – and it's important that we look at things realistically. The Asian Cup finals were held in winter in Qatar and things were fine.

TWG: What about some of the other pressing issues around Asia – how the vote was won by Qatar, for example?
PA: On the vote, I don't know what will happen, I wasn't there and wasn't a part of it and I have a four-year term which means I won't have a say in voting on a World Cup because of the double bid which I found a bit strange to be honest so I'm not focused on all that stuff.

TWG: How big of a challenge is match-fixing in Asia?
PA: The challenge is huge. I do understand that I don't think there is any way we can prevent it fully but we have to do a lot more and put a lot more emphasis and investment in combating it. If you take, for example, certain places, let's say England, they're doing the right thing internally to prevent it. But it is actually a world issue so it's not just, for example, about people betting or doing things illegally in England. You know, you're getting people from China and Singapore and others who are doing it so it really needs to be a global thing. There are a lot of people who have done a good job in trying to prevent this but again we need a lot more investment in that.

The other issue which is a big concern for me is the trading of players and how that is conducted, and there are a lot of players, whether they come from Africa or Asia or wherever, who have had horrible experiences in terms of basically people scamming them, agents, and so and that needs to be prevented.

TWG: You've had some recent discussion surrounding those issues with FIFPro – how were they received?
PA: We had some excellent discussions and we are working together more and more. I think FIFPro has a very important role to play and I'm fully supportive of that. They are the link between the players and their concerns and those who are managing and that gap needs to come closer together and FIFPro can do that.

TWG: The Japanese Football Association has a vision whereby they will host and win the men's World Cup within 50 years. After the success of its female side last year, do you think it's possible a male Asian nation will win the World Cup anytime soon?
PA: I have total respect for the 'other' JFA because they have come a long way in a relatively short time and they've done great and with their men's team I don't think they have to wait until 2050 or what have you. I think they're outstanding in terms of their performance. They're Asian champions, the Olympics and so on.

TWG: What are the major challenges you face within Asia?
PA: I think that Asian football is progressing and I'm working personally as hard as I can to try and create a new outlook particularly in terms of our competitions. Obviously there are physical challenges when it comes to the size of the continent but I think that that can be overcome.

I think things are OK and things are moving but logistically it needs to be better managed and that's my outlook. I've been pushing that the four major zones should have better integration of their scheduling, I mean in the Gulf countries the leagues are basically played in the winter and in East Asia it's in the summer so how do you find the middle ground that works best? In terms of the ACL (Asian Champions League) and AFC (Asian) Cup it does have a big effect so we're trying to work on all these issues and hopefully have a model that is conducive to all.

TWG: What's your thinking around the movement of players within Asia and abroad?
PA: If players go and play in Europe that's great but I'd like to see a bit more focus on ourselves and I think that as we progress that if we can convince fans to have more faith in our own competitions and our own leagues then we will see progress.

Also, the idea of always viewing coaches from outside as better than our own has not been good. The exchange of players within leagues is crucial and so too is better salaries for referees to avoid issues of corruption or what have you. It's not just about the top leagues or teams rather it's about the whole system and more than that just respecting each other and trying to ensure that each country is improving.

TWG: Can Jordan reach the World Cup finals in Brazil?
PA: I would hope so and I have full faith that they have the capabilities and ability to do it. It was difficult for us for many reasons and we had quite a rough time against Japan and I was quite concerned with a lot of players missing through injury and suspension but at the same time I knew it would be a great chance for other players to perform. I was nervous. But the win over Australia was crucial. If we hadn't had that win it would have made things a lot more difficult but it's still a long way to go. It's not over and I keep trying to tell people to relax. It's just one win and we still have an away match against Australia and they're not going to be the same team we faced here.

Garcia and Hans-Joachim Eckert were appointed joint chairmen of the Ethics Committee during FIFA's extraordinary meeting in Zurich in July.

The awarding of the 2006 World Cup to Germany will also be examined as part of the pair's inquiries, Garcia told German television in an interview.

The American said one of their many tasks is also to look into the relationship between FIFA and defunct marketing company ISL, which sold FIFA's World Cup TV rights.

Swiss court documents, recently published by FIFA, reveal ISL paid millions of dollars in bribes to former FIFA president Joao Havelange and ex-FIFA executive committee member Ricardo Teixeira.

"If you look at things, it is clear there is something to investigate and that is what we are going to do," the 51-year-old Garcia told ARD.

Garcia also said the conduct of FIFA president Sepp Blatter will come under scrutiny.

"The more important the person involved is, the more important it is to examine them as well," he added.

The Jordanian told German newspaper Tagesspiegel that he thinks it is better to play in winter. "But that is something the hosts would have to decide."

He does not believe it would be necessary to change the European footballing time-table as 'countries already have a winter break'.

That, however, is not the case everywhere. In England there is virtually no break, while in Spain the league also only shuts down for two weeks.

The Bundesliga, on the other hand, always has a five-week break, which would fit into the four week World Cup.

The former United States attorney made the pledge in his first formal visit to FIFA headquarters at Zurich, after being appointed to help restore confidence in football's governing body after years of scandal involving bribery, vote-buying and ticket scams.

"If there is conduct in the past that warrants investigation, I will do it," Garcia told reporters in a conference call. "There are no limitations at all on what we will be looking at."

Days into his new task, Garcia has already been urged how to achieve it.

FIFA's anti-corruption advisers want him to probe how 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting rights were awarded, and European politicians want him to examine FIFA president Sepp Blatter's election victory last year.

Russia won the right to hold the 2018 event while the 2022 tournament went to Qatar.

Australia bid and lost the fight for 2022.

Garcia said his wide-ranging authority includes "whether that area is a particular World Cup or a particular individual."

He invited any "credible complaint of corruption" from whistleblowers, and plans to create a "pipeline" for people outside of FIFA's often secretive circles to suggest cases.

"I don't see any limitations on whistleblower or complaint intake ... or where complaints can come from," Garcia said. "I think it is my obligation and a responsibility under (FIFA's code of ethics) to do that."

Still, the lawyer who helped prosecute and convict terrorists in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing is already busy with two signature scandals that FIFA sent his way.

On Thursday, Garcia opened his first case and suspended Blatter's former election rival Mohamed bin Hammam for 90 days to investigate bribery allegations. They relate to the Qatari official's failed campaign last year, and earlier use of Asian Football Confederation accounts.

The second round of claims were levelled at bin Hammam last week, three days before he beat FIFA in a Court of Arbitration for Sport verdict which overturned his life ban from world football. CAS suggested bin Hammam was not innocent, and that FIFA could re-open the case.

"There are many facts and allegations in there," Garcia said of the court's decision.

Blatter has also passed Garcia a Swiss court document detailing aspects of a decade-old World Cup kickbacks scandal for his newly created investigations unit to assess.

Garcia was flanked on Friday by German judge Joachim Eckert, who will lead FIFA's new ethics court, and insisted they would be independent.

FIFA has said both will be paid standard daily fees and expenses claimed by committee members while on football duty.

"We will not accept any influence exerted on us," said Eckert, who sat in judgment of a noted German bribery case involving industrial giant Siemens.

Garcia noted that past FIFA ethics prosecutions - conducted by some of the same officials who comprise his new team - often failed to get witnesses to co-operate. He plans to change that.

"It is incredibly important for this (ethics) code to contain penalties, sanctions, clear lines of obligations and duty to cooperate. That is a very powerful tool," he said.

As part of FIFA President Sepp Blatter's anti-corruption reforms, his executive committee in Zurich will choose lawyers to lead independent prosecuting and judging chambers of a revamped ethics court.

FIFA's top anti-corruption adviser, Mark Pieth, has said the appointments are "absolutely fundamental" to modernise football's scandal-hit world governing body.

Pieth's advisory panel said on Monday the ethics officials must have the authority to examine old cases, after finding that FIFA "insufficiently investigated" some allegations about World Cup bidding.

Pieth says his team wants to meet the officials soon and "make it clear what we expect of them."

Temperatures in the day in Qatar can reach 50 degrees C and in nearby Dubai this northern summer Australia will play three one-day cricket games against Pakistan that could finish as late as 1.45am.

A 10pm kick-off time for football in Qatar would be 8pm in England and Boyce said that could help with the heat - and be good for television.

It would mean that if a World Cup match went into extra-time and penalties it would finish well after midnight.

Boyce, from Northern Ireland, told the Press Association: "The FIFA executive committee decided, before my time, that the tournament is going to be held in Qatar and anything should be considered to try to alleviate the severe heat conditions.

"We have heard that there is an intention to provide air conditioning in the stadiums but we should also look at anything that will improve spectator comfort and player comfort.

"People cannot play in 50 degree heat so if that's to be one of the compromises then that's something we will have to look at.

"It might also be an advantage in terms of making it compatible with a worldwide television audience."

Both UEFA president Michel Platini and Germany's Franz Beckenbauer have called for the 2022 World Cup to be played in January instead because of the heat.

Platini, who has confirmed he voted for Qatar, has said he is prepared to move European competitions to allow that to happen.

Beckenbauer, also thought to have voted for Qatar, said last year: "In January and February you have comfortable 25 degrees there. Qatar won the vote and deserves a fair chance as the first host from the Middle East."

Richards claimed that FIFA and UEFA had 'stolen' football from England - comments which the Premier League moved quickly to distance itself from.

The plain-speaking Richards then told the International Sport Security Conference that Qatar must makes the sale of beer freely available at the 2022 World Cup or face a boycott by fans.

A bad day for the Yorkshireman got worse when he later fell face first into a fountain pool at a hotel in Doha after tripping on a low ledge while on the way to dinner.

An eyewitness told the Press Association: "It was quite a shallow pool but he fell into it face first, so his suit was completely soaked."

Richards had earlier raised eyebrows when he told the conference that England had given the world the game of football only to have it 'stolen' from them.

He said: "For 50 years, we owned the game, we were the governance of the game. We wrote the rules and designed the pitches.

"Then, 50 years later, some guy came along and said you're liars and they actually stole it. It was called FIFA. Fifty years later, another gang came along called UEFA and stole a bit more."

The Premier League has been privately embarrassed by the remarks and issued a statement saying: "Sir Dave is attending the conference in a private and personal capacity and his comments in no way reflect the views of the Premier League."

He also warned fans may boycott the Qatar 2022 World Cup unless beer is made freely available - the sale of alcohol is severely restricted in the Middle Eastern country.

Richards said: "In our country and in Germany, we have a culture. We call it, 'We would like to go for a pint', and that pint is a pint of beer.

"It is our culture as much as your culture [in Qatar] is not drinking. There has to be a happy medium.

"If you don't do something about it, you are starting to bury your head in the sand a little bit because it needs addressing.

"You might be better off saying don't come. But a World Cup without England, Germany, the Dutch, Danes and Scandinavians. It's unthinkable."

Hassan Al Thawadi, general secretary of Qatar 2022, has always insisted that alcohol will be available for visiting fans at special zones but he said he did not see the need for beer to be sold in stadiums.

He said: "For me personally, I don't see the reason for it being in the stadiums, but it's something we're discussing with FIFA."

Richards, an FA board member, also launched an attack on FIFA over the failed 2018 World Cup bid.

He also said FIFA was responsible for England 2018 spending millions of pounds - he referred to £19 million ($28.43 million) although FA accounts last year revealed the full cost was £21 million ($31.42 million) - on a bid with the odds stacked against them by FIFA who wanted to take the World Cup to new territories.

He said: "Why couldn't FIFA have said, we want to take it to the Gulf, to the eastern bloc? We spent £19 million on that bid.

"When we went for it everybody believed we had a chance. But as we went through it a pattern emerged that suggested maybe we didn't."

The Football Association also distanced itself from Richards' remarks.

An FA statement read: "Sir Dave Richards is not representing the FA at this conference and his personal views are in no way shared or endorsed by the FA.

"The FA greatly values its relationships with FIFA and UEFA, which it is working hard to strengthen."

A statement from Richards read: "Further to the comments I made earlier today at a conference in Doha I would like to apologise for any offence caused.

"It is important to clarify that I was expressing my personal views and not those of any organisation I represent.

"My comments on the heritage of the game were intended to be light-hearted. They clearly have not come across in that way and I sincerely regret making them and any resulting negativity that may have been interpreted towards FIFA and UEFA. I will be writing to both organisations in these terms."

Richards hurt his leg in his fall and had it checked out in a Doha hospital before being released.

Bolton Wanderers chairman Phil Gartside, who was with Richards at the time, told BBC Sport: "I was on the way to dinner with Sir Dave at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha. We were walking across to our table in a dark courtyard area. There were three fountain areas nearby, no pool.

"They had switched off the lights. He thought he was stepping on to flat marble, but his foot went down into the water, he fell over and hurt his leg quite badly. Any suggestions he had a drink is nonsense. It's a dry place."

Hassan al-Thawadi, general secretary of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, said it was an issue that will be discussed with FIFA over the years.

He would only say the country was aiming to put on an event where "everyone will be able to have a great time, have fun and be exposed to Qatari culture."

Qatar, a nation with conservative Muslim traditions but which has a significant population of foreign workers, limits the sale of alcohol mostly to five-star hotels. It doesn't sell alcohol currently at football matches.

"I don't see the reason for it being in the stadium," said Al-Thawadi, who noted that several nations including Brazil don't currently sell it at matches.

"I'm looking at it in terms of England and looking at in terms of everybody else. That is something we are discussing with FIFA ... Let's discuss this with relevant stakeholders and come up with a plan that welcomes everyone."

The issue of alcohol sales in stadiums is not limited to Qatar. It became a hot topic a few months back when FIFA sparred with Brazil over sales at the 2014 World Cup, insisting it wasn't an issue for debate.

Existing Brazilian law forbids alcohol sales inside stadiums during football matches to cut down on fan violence, but a World Cup ban would upset some of FIFA's sponsors.

FIFA has said it will sharply defend the commercial rights of all its sponsors - among them brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev, the maker of Budweiser, which has extended its sponsorship of the World Cup through the 2018 edition in Russia and the 2022 event in Qatar.

After a lengthy debate, a Brazilian congressional commission approved a World Cup bill earlier this month which will allow the alcohol sales in stadiums during the tournament.

The bill still has to go through the lower house and the senate before reaching President Dilma Rousseff.

The firm will work with the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee to ensure all World Cup-related projects - including the 12 stadiums, the new Doha International Airport and a metro network - are built on time. The firm will stay on through 2024 to ensure all World Cup-related work is completed.

Organisers did not release any details on the value of the contract.

Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup in December 2010, beating out the United States, Australia, Japan and South Korea. It was a surprise choice considering the summer heat exceeds 40 degrees Celsius in the desert country.

Platini, who also confirmed he voted for Qatar as 2022 host, said the World Cup 'is the most important thing' and that it would be better to play the tournament when the whether was cooler.

Asked if he would move competitions such as the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, Platini told Al Jazeera: "Of course. If we play in winter, not a problem to organise it. How can people go to Qatar in 50 degrees in June? If the people can't come to enjoy it it's not good.

"If we play in winter it will be not a problem. Instead [of stopping the season] in May you play until June, and then stop in December. Where is the problem?"

Platini, who appears to preparing the way for a bid to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president, said it was right that an Arab nation was hosting the World Cup after Egypt and Morocco had previously lost bids.

He added: "For me I vote for Qatar, because I think it's nice to go in another part of the world, with people who never received the World Cup.

"I think it was a good decision, but now I think we have to adapt when is the best moment and where is the best moment to play this World Cup in Qatar."

Platini also described Blatter as 'clumsy' over his remark, since withdrawn, that racism on the field of play should be settled by a handshake.

"Blatter was clumsy but he's not a racist," said Platini.

Speaking at a conference on Tuesday, World Cup organising committee official Hassan Al Thawadi said Qatar would only consider a switch from summertime if 'the entire football community' contested current plans.

"If the entire football community, and not just FIFA, requests it then we would not stand in their way," Al Thawadi said.

'But for the moment there have been no such discussions' with world football's ruling body FIFA, he added.

Since Qatar successfully bid to host the event concerns have been raised that the heat and humidity of the Gulf State during the summer could cause havoc for players and fans.

Organisers have pledged to look at ways of keeping temperatures under control, including installing industrial-sized air conditioning systems in all host stadiums.

That idea, however, was met with scepticism in September by UEFA president Michel Platini, who repeated demands that the event be switched to the winter.

"If you are going to go to Qatar in June-July, there's a good chance it'll be 55 degrees (Celsius)," Platini said at a UEFA executive committee meeting in Cyprus.

"It's great that the grounds will be air conditioned but I think that this sporting occasion is the most important in the world.

"The best period is to play in the winter and in November-December 2022, because in January 2022 there will be the Winter Olympics."

Architects working on several stadium projects in Qatar have also poured doubt on the use of air conditioning, suggesting instead that a ventilation system and making sure all seating is kept in the shade would work better.

Al Thawadi, however, added that research into the use of air conditioning in stadiums would continue 'because it was one of the promises made to the world' during the bid campaign.

"All the commitments we made to FIFA during our bid campaign, including the use of air conditioning in stadiums, remain in place," he added.

"We have no plans to drop the air conditioning project."

Leading firm Populous, which is designing the Sports City stadium in Doha, is trying to persuade Qatari organisers to scrap plans to have air-conditioning at the venue.

Populous director John Barrow said the system is too expensive and 'notoriously unsustainable' for the environment when used on a large scale.

"I think you can be more clever. It is about air movement, moisture in the air and it is about temperature at the right time of day," Barrow told delegates at the International Football Arena conference.

"If we get it right ... that is the way ahead."

Air-conditioned stadiums to beat 50-degree desert heat in June were a defining theme of Qatar's winning bid last year.

Qatar hired Populous to help its campaign, drawing on the firm's experience in building signature projects such as the new Yankee Stadium, London's 2012 Olympic Stadium and Arsenal's Emirates arena.

The firm built a small prototype of an air-conditioned stadium in Doha to help persuade a FIFA inspection team that the tiny nation's ambitious World Cup project could succeed.

However, Barrow now believes the planned Sports City arena can be kept cool by shading seats and using traditional Arabic methods for ventilation.

"We are doing away with all the air-conditioning kit that is going to cost a fortune to run," Barrow said.

Instead, he is proposing wind towers that suck up hot air to create fan-like air movement inside the 47,000-capacity stadium.

"It is part of the building tradition in the Gulf to create wind towers which naturally ventilate. If you have got an air movement which keeps you cool like a fan that makes all the difference."

Qatar promised FIFA that its 12 World Cup stadiums could be regulated at around 26 degrees.

Now, Barrow says spectators could be kept comfortable at 30 degrees during evening matches.

"It doesn't need to be 26 degrees. Fan expectation needs to be a little more relaxed," he said on the conference sidelines.

Seating areas also need to be kept in shade during searing daytime temperatures, instead of allowing stadiums to 'suck in' heat that is retained after dark.

"Suddenly you are sitting on a radiator. It is totally counter productive," Barrow said. "The objective for me is to keep the (stadium) bowl sun-screened during the day, with natural ventilation and also encouraging a vortex by using all kinds of clever tricks."

Fusimalohi appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to annul the sanction imposed by FIFA that expires in October 2012.

The Tongan official was caught in a British newspaper's sting during bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Fusimalohi and other former FIFA officials reportedly advised The Sunday Times's undercover reporters how to bribe their former colleagues.

Fusimalohi's ban cost him his job as Tonga Football Association general secretary, and his seat on the Oceania confederation's executive committee.

He now works as an adviser to Tongan Prime Minister Lord Tu'ivakano.

Fusimalohi was a member of FIFA's ruling body from 2002-06 and took part in the election of South Africa as the 2010 World Cup host.

He is the last of three officials to appear at CAS among six banned by FIFA last year based on the newspaper's evidence.

Amos Adamu of Nigeria, who FIFA ruled had asked for bribes, challenged his three-year ban from all football duties last month.

Adamu was barred from voting when FIFA's high command chose World Cup hosts Russia and Qatar last December.

Amadou Diakite of Mali faced the same FIFA charges as Fusimalohi. He appealed his two-year ban last month.

Diakite had been a member of FIFA's refereeing committee.

The CAS panels are scheduled to give their three verdicts within several weeks.

SBS is already the exclusive broadcast rights holder to the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ in Brazil.

SBS Managing Director interview: Securing FIFA World Cup rights

“SBS has a long and proud association with football and with the FIFA World Cup™ having been the official broadcaster since 1986,” SBS Managing Director Michael Ebeid said.

“It is our dedication to football and to giving the most comprehensive live and free-to-air television coverage in Australia that cemented our bid.

“SBS has been the spiritual home of football for the past 30 years and this new deal with FIFA ensures that the greatest of all sporting events – the FIFA World Cup™, will remain on SBS until at least 2022.

“A dedicated bid team at SBS has been working hard over many months to shore up this deal and I congratulate them for ensuring the long-standing partnership between SBS and FIFA continues for the next decade.”

The 2018 tournament will be hosted by Russia with the 2022 edition being hosted in the Middle East for the first time, with Qatar handed that honour.

“We are particularly pleased with the development of our media rights and the reach of our events,” Director of FIFA’s TV Division Niclas Ericson said.

“For every cycle we are reaching more fans than ever, and with the channels and media platforms of SBS we remain in very good hands for the 2015-2022 period.”

As the broadcast partner for the past seven FIFA World Cups, and the 2014 event, SBS has brought the world’s biggest sporting event to life for Australian audiences.

“This is fantastic news for football fans and a great coup for SBS,” Ken Shipp, SBS Head of Sport, said.

“We can only build on this and expand in areas like The World Game mobile app.

SBS’s successful bid is also well-deserved acknowledgement of our passion, dedication and football expertise which is unrivalled in Australia.

But Hassan al Thawadi, secretary general of the supreme committee for Qatar 2022, admitted to frustrations at the accusations that have been directed at its bid.

A leaked email from FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke in May said Qatar's FIFA member Mohamed Bin Hammam 'thought you can buy FIFA as they bought the World Cup'.

There have also been claims by a whistleblower who had worked for the bid, repeated under Parliamentary privilege but later retracted, that Qatar paid bribes to two African FIFA members.

Al Thawadi told the Leaders in Football conference: "We did not expect this avalanche of allegations and accusations.

"Baseless accusations were made against our bid, we were presumed guilty before innocent without a shred of evidence being produced. We conducted our bid to the highest ethical and moral standards.

"It was very, very frustrating as we had worked very hard on delivering the messages, and our campaign was a very good campaign.

"To hear the innuendos being the main headline hurt us."

Bin Hammam, who promoted the successful vote for Qatar among fellow FIFA members, has since been banned for life by FIFA for bribery in connection with his presidential campaign.

Al Thawadi said Qatar 2002 was 'completely independent' of Bin Hammam, who is appealing against his ban.

He added: "Mohamed Bin Hammam is his own man. He and Qatar 2022 are completely independent and separate, The appeal is his decision and his steps. We have to ride it out as patiently as having to ride out the whistleblower allegations and others."

In relation to the Valcke email, he added: "It leads back to the same issues: frustration. I think Jerome Valcke came out and pointed out what he meant by that statement.

"We did put considerable resources into our bidding process. It is not a fact we denied. We put in considerable resources to get our messages heard as loud as the other bidding nations."

Al Thawadi also confirmed that fans will be able to buy alcohol during the tournament.

"Alcohol will be available but may not be as available as it will be in London," he said. "Any fan who wants to enjoy the World Cup with a drink will be able to find a drink."

Klass, a member of the Caribbean Football Union's (CFU) executive committee and head of the Guyana FA for 22 years, was also fined 5,000 Swiss francs ($5,674).

FIFA said in a statement that Klass "was found to have breached various articles of the FIFA code of ethics (articles 3, 9 and 14) following an investigation related to the special meeting of the CFU held in Trinidad & Tobago on 10 and 11 May 2011."

After the meeting, which led to Mohamed Bin Hammam being given a life ban for bribery, Klass orchestrated a campaign of support for Jack Warner who resigned as FIFA vice-president in June after himself being charged with bribery.

Dr Nicola Ritter, a German legal and financial analyst, told an investors' summit held in Munich that £107 billion ($161 billion) would be spent on stadiums and facilities plus a further £31billion ($47 billion) on transport infrastructure, according to Construction News.

Ritter said £30 billion ($45 billion) would be spent on building air-conditioned stadia - at least 12 will be needed - with £48 billion ($72 billion) on training facilities and accommodation for players and fans.

A further £28 billion ($42 billion) will be spent on creating a new city called Lusail which will surround the stadium which hosts the opening and final matches of the tournament.

Qatar beat bids by the USA, Australia, Japan and Korea to win the right to host the tournament in 11 years time.

The capital city Doha is also bidding to stage the 2020 Olympics and the 2017 world athletics championships.

Planned transport improvements include expanding the New Doha International Airport, constructing the new Doha port where it is planned some fans will be accommodated on cruise ships.

Bin Hammam was slapped with the ban last month after he was found guilty of trying to buy votes in the FIFA presidential race by offering Caribbean football officials $US40,000 ($A38,000) each.

The former head of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has denied the charges, calling them "politically motivated", and is appealing the ban.

In a posting on his blog, Bin Hammam published a copy of a letter, purportedly from FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, asking Caribbean Football Union members to come forward "with all relevant information" within two days.

Anyone who didn't come forward would "be subject to the full range of sanctions," the letter said.

"Based upon the evidence gathered to date, there is reason to believe that numerous people have not been completely candid and forthright in their statements about ... whether they or others were offered or received money," it said.

Bin Hammam said he had been found guilty by a "kangaroo court - FIFA branch" and expressed outrage over the letter dated July 25, two days after the ban was imposed.

"Valcke, the co-owner of FIFA, issued a letter to the CFU member associations, threatening them to either admit that they have been bribed or he will open an investigation to find out if I have bribed them or not!!" he said.

The 62-year-old Qatari did not say how he obtained the document.

Bin Hammam's suspension by FIFA on May 29 over the accusations led to his withdrawal from the world football body's leadership election, handing incumbent president Sepp Blatter a fourth consecutive term in office.

The controversy has highlighted allegations of corruption in FIFA and sparked calls for reform of its governance structure, which anti-graft watchdog Transparency International earlier this month called "opaque".

The vote-buying accusations also raised questions over last year's controversial decision to award Qatar the right to host the 2022 World Cup, beating Australia, the United States, South Korea and Japan.

Bin Hammam, a former chairman of the Qatar Football Association, had played a key role in pre-vote lobbying for his home country's bid.

FIFA on Saturday banned Bin Hammam for life from football for his role in a bribery scandal, making the Asian football president the most senior official convicted of corruption in the governing body's 107-year history.

The link between the fall from grace of Bin Hammam, Qatar's football powerbroker, and the 2022 World Cup may come naturally for Qatar's critics.

But the prospect of dealing with two controversies is a daunting one for Qatar and the whole of the Gulf region where sport has been elevated to something akin to a national cause.

Qatar's emir, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and his fellow rulers around the Gulf toasted Qatar's World Cup win as a 'source of pride' for the entire Muslim world.

Rulers of the region's oil-rich states compete for vanity projects. Dubai boasts the world's tallest skyscraper, while Abu Dhabi has a New York University campus and will soon be home to Louvre and Guggenheim art museums.

The competition between the Gulf's deep-pocketed sheiks has been particularly fierce in sports with one oil-rich sheikdom trying to outdo the other in hosting a tennis or a golf tournament and luring A-list athletes to their desert fiefdoms.

The World Cup is by far the biggest prize yet awarded to the Gulf. It is, however, in danger of being compromised.

The FIFA scandal unfolded just months after the 62-year-old Bin Hammam helped secure for his tiny, but immensely rich country the world's biggest sporting event after the Olympics.

"The fact that he was a key figure in the bid could rub off on Qatar's World Cup for sure," said James Dorsey, a senior research fellow of the National University of Singapore's Middle East Institute and author of the blog, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer.

Managing Bin Hammam's quest to clear his name and waging an international campaign to prove the critics of Qatar 2022 wrong is a daunting task for any Gulf ruler, unaccustomed to being held accountable by anybody.

"It's a tall order, let's face it," Dorsey said.

The ruler's dilemma: save a disgraced football official who helped win Qatar the World Cup or defend the World Cup from critics who claim his country was a poor choice to host the 2022 event.

Part of good governance in the oil-rich region is boosting the importance of loyal servants and wealthy allies, but keeping them firmly in their place and pulling the plug on their ambitions before they overshadow their own.

"Guys like Bin Hammam never operate independently from the rulers," said Christopher Davidson, an expert on the Gulf and a lecturer at Britain's Durham University.

One way to separate the World Cup from the Bin Hammam scandal is to direct attention toward the technological developments that will enable Qatar to stage the event in the sizzling Gulf summer, experts said.

"They need to reinforce the message that they can deliver good matches and entertainment for fans at 50 degrees Celsius," said Sean Ennis, a professor of sports marketing at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.

A lengthy legal fight by Bin Hammam will not help divorce the bribery scandal from the World Cup, even though the Qatar bid has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

"All this comes as a package - the presidential election and the World Cup," said former Asian Football Confederation general secretary Peter Velappan after the punishment against the 62-year-old Qatari.

Velappan described the one-time candidate for the FIFA presidency as 'the architect of bribery and corruption' in the region.

Bin Hammam maintains he's innocent and says he'll will prove in Swiss courts he was a victim of a conspiracy.

While football officials around the Gulf remained silent on Bin Hammam's guilty verdict, newspaper editorials - often the only insight into the thinking of the Gulf's ruling elite - heavily criticised football's governing body.

The Abu Dhabi-based National newspaper called FIFA an 'ethical Neverland' and an 'assembly of venal, conniving, self-perpetuating Old Boys who have their boots on the neck of the beautiful game'.

Bin Hammam was 'the Arab Spring (for) world football', the paper said, referring to a wave of revolts against autocratic rulers across the Middle East.

"His ideas resonated. They excited."

Most encouraged the disgraced Qatari to fight back, although they also fear his personal battle might plunge the whole region into a media war.

"The life ban is the last bit of negative publicity that Qatar needs as it prepares itself for the ambitious task of hosting the 2022 World Cup," said an editorial in the Dubai-based newspaper The Gulf News.

For now at least, Bin Hammam has every intention to fight FIFA and Blatter in order to stay in football and be part of his country's decade-long effort to stage the World Cup.

"It's clear that bin Hammam, who had a huge role in ensuring Qatar's successful 2022 World Cup bid, wants to be around when the football jamboree comes to his country," said a Dubai-based sports daily Sport360.

"Expect him to move mountains, if not Blatter."

Warner quit last month amid allegations he had facilitated the paying of bribes and FIFA dropped the investigation following his resignation. The world governing body did warn however that the investigation would be reopened if he were ever to return to football.

Warner, who had also been president of the CONCACAF organisation of countries from north and central America and the Caribbean, has said however he might do just that.

He told the Trinidad Guardian: "You can never tell what the future holds.

"There is some unfinished business which I will have to finish in both FIFA and CONCACAF at the appropriate time and who knows I may go back.

"The only expert on the FIFA in this country [Trinidad] is me and in the fullness of time I will tell this country what FIFA is and what FIFA is not."

Mohamed Bin Hammam, the 62-year-old Qatari who was Asian football president until his provisional suspension, faces a FIFA ethics committee hearing into the bribery allegations on July 22.

Meanwhile, Qatar's World Cup chief has claimed there is prejudice against his country's successful bid for the 2022 tournament.

Phaedra Al Majid, the so-called 'whistleblower' behind a series of bribery allegations involving FIFA members and the bid, has released a statement saying she fabricated all the claims.

Hassan Al Thawadi, general secretary of the supreme committee for the 2022 World Cup's general secretary, told BBC Sport: "The attack on 2022 fits the prejudice people have in their minds. An Arab nation could not have won.

Asked whether the Gulf state had paid money or gifts to secure the 2022 tournament he said: "We never broke any rules,"

Al Thawadi said calls for a review of the bid vote was an "absolute outrage".

He added: "If there is evidence, investigate the evidence, but if there is nothing there and it's based on rumours."

Mohamed Bin Hammam, the country's representative on the FIFA executive committee and a key figure in bringing the showpiece tournament to his nation, has been provisionally suspended by the world governing body and will face an ethics committee hearing next week after being accused of bribing officials during the voting process.

FIFA members Issa Hayatou, Jacques Anouma and Amos Adamu were alleged to have received bribes - only for the 'whistleblower' behind those claims, Phaedra Al Majid, to retract them and claim she had fabricated them as revenge for losing her job.

Bid chief Hassan Al Thawadi told the Guardian: "I do not believe these claims are being made out of racism. But I genuinely think that ignorance fed into prejudice and made it a more fertile ground for these rumours to take seed and grow.

"I do believe there is prejudice against the fact that we are a rich, Arab nation - yes, I think there is genuine prejudice there.

"Why do I have to prove my innocence when there is not a shred of evidence? Why should we have an investigation if no other country has one - even Russia, which won the 2018 World Cup by the same people on the same day after the same process?"

FIFA confirmed it has received an email from Al Majid, a former international media officer for Qatar 2022, retracting her allegations.

FIFA said in a statement: "FIFA can confirm receipt of an email from a person claiming to have made allegations related to the Qatar 2022 bid process and now retracting these allegations.

"In a consistent and correct way, we have repeatedly said that FIFA would not be making any comments on allegations. This policy will continue.

"We have repeatedly said that FIFA can only act upon evidence. This policy will continue.

"When only allegations are made and no evidence is given, FIFA always stands firmly by its members."

Al Majid has sworn an affidavit saying she invented the allegations about the Qatar 2022 bid, which were reported after being published under parliamentary privilege by the House of Commons select committee for culture, media and sport.

That situation angered Al Thawadi, who continued: "I do feel absolute surprise and disappointment. I understand and respect parliamentary privilege, but my country's reputation and my bid's reputation is being sullied, tarnished, because of these allegations."

Phaedra Al Majid, a former international media officer for Qatar 2022, said she had fabricated the claims as revenge for losing her job.

She had named FIFA members Issa Hayatou, Jacques Anouma and Amos Adamu as having received bribes - and these claims were repeated in Parliament in a culture, media and sport select committee hearing.

Al Majid stated she had not been subjected to any pressure by Qatar 2022 or paid to retract her claims.

She said in a statement: "I wish to offer a full and formal apology for the fabricated allegations concerning the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup bid committee and FIFA executive committee members Issa Hayatou, Jacques Anouma and Amos Adamu.

"I have lied about all facts concerning the behaviour and practice of the Qatar 2022 bid.

"Never, at any time, were any bribes even offered, suggested or paid on behalf of the Qatar 2022 bid during any time in exchange for votes from Issa Hayatou, Jacques Anouma, and Amos Adamu.

"These allegations were in full a fabrication on my behalf."

Al Majid added that she did not foresee her claims ending up in a Parliamentary committee.

She has also sworn an affidavit about the Qatar 2022 bid.

John Whittingdale, the select committee's chairman, has stood by the decision to publish the allegations which named Qatar and the three FIFA members.

He told the Guardian: "I can understand why Qatar would be upset about it. But our intention was to stress that these were serious allegations which FIFA was not investigating.

"If it turns out it was all a fabrication, which is a good outcome for Qatar, that has come out because we published."

FIFA's ethics committee have summoned all 25 associations to the interviews in Miami to be questioned about claims they were each offered or given $37,700 dollars as a bribe by senior FIFA members Mohamed Bin Hammam and Jack Warner.

A letter from FIFA to the associations has been obtained by Sky News, telling federation chiefs to meet investigators from June 7-9. The interviews are being carried out by officials from Freeh Group International Europe - the agency run by ex-FBI director Louis Freeh - which has been hired by FIFA to assist Robert Torres, the ethics committee member leading the probe.

The letter states: "Although you are under no obligation to attend such a meeting please be advised that the FIFA ethics committee may draw a negative inference in the event that you (i) do not make the arrangements sought herein, or (ii) do not attend the meeting requested.

"Furthermore we kindly remind you that as an official you have a duty of disclosure and reporting, including providing any evidence requested for inspection."

FIFA says it will pick up the tab for travel to and accommodation in Miami and say if officials cannot make the dates requested they must offer an alternative to take place within the next 10 days.

Bin Hammam and Warner have been suspended pending the outcome of the probe, which is likely to be completed in mid-July. The bribes are alleged to have been paid to members of the Caribbean Football Union at a meeting in Trinidad on May 10 and 11.

One Caribbean association has complained to FIFA that the investigation is "biased" towards the USA - one of the defeated bids for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The letter of complaint, which has been seen by Press Association Sport, says: "The investigation is tainted and biased and clearly has a US-driven agenda."

It asks FIFA president Sepp Blatter to replace Freeh with a "truly independent investigator and secure a neutral venue for the interview of any Caribbean Football Union member other than the USA".

It also points out that former USA president Bill Clinton worked on the USA 2022 bid, during the time Freeh was FBI director, and that the main complainant, FIFA member Chuck Blazer is American, as are the investigators with the "interrogation being conducted on American soil".

Blatter also said he has 'received enough kicks' and now wants to have the chance to restore FIFA's credibility after being re-elected unopposed as FIFA president last week in controversial circumstances.

Qatar 2022 came under the spotlight last week when FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke confirmed he had sent an email suggesting it had 'bought' the tournament but later said he had been referring to the financial power of the bid.

Blatter said he would not block the FIFA ethics committee or new solutions committee if they wanted to investigate.

But asked if he would look again at Qatar hosting the 2022 World Cup, told CNN: "No. I don't know why we should go in - then we shall go to all, then we shall start with Brazil and all before.

"I don't know why we should open something because somebody has said something towards Qatar.

"Let me work now on this new approach of the ethics committee, let me work with this committee of solutions and if this committee of solutions or the ethics committee have the impression that they should do something then let them take the decisions."

FIFA has two members, Jack Warner and Mohamed Bin Hammam suspended on bribery charges pending an ethics committee hearing - but Blatter said he would not support a lifetime ban for people who offer bribes despite his new 'zero tolerance' approach.

He added: "No - to say if there is an offence against an ethic code, it is a life ban - everyone has the right to defend itself.

"Zero tolerance is not a killing instinct that we have to kill people. Zero tolerance means that if you commit something outside the play of field, you will have a punishment. But it can be a yellow card, it can be a red card, it can be a suspension for two games, three game [or] a lifetime."

Hassan al-Thawadi, the committee's secretary general, also told the state-run Qatar News Agency on Monday that the Gulf nation wants to hold another 'major tournament' by 2020, as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup.

Qatar won the right to host the 2022 World Cup last December. It has attempted to counter concerns about the summer heat by promising that all the stadiums will be air conditioned to ensure fans and players are protected from temperatures that far exceed 40 degrees Celsius.

Australia controversially lost out to Qatar in the race to stage the event in 2002 but, following his re-election as president yesterday, Blatter announced a new system of choosing World Cup hosts with all 208 FIFA nations voting instead of the 24-man executive committee.

Buckley told ABC Radio: "Well the language coming from the president and the rest of the FIFA executives was positive in that it would look to reform the decision-making process, particularly around the World Cup.

"And we've been on the record before as saying that that process is somewhat flawed and needs to be looked at.

"There's a strong willingness for FIFA to look at the governance practices and that's a good step in the right direction."

Australia's federal sports minister Mark Arbib has vowed to monitor goings-on at FIFA to ensure Blatter's message of reform is carried out.

"He has said that he will take on reform in the organisation and he now must do that. President Blatter has a great deal of work to do. He and his organisation have to get on with it," Arbib told ABC.

"Reform is necessary. What FIFA requires is action that took place in the IOC after Salt Lake City when the IOC cleaned up its game and that is exactly what FIFA now requires and of course the voting members of FIFA need to ensure that president Blatter is held to his word.

"He has said he'll reform the organisation, it's time for that to take place."

In a strongly worded statement released by the ECA, which groups Europe's most powerful clubs, Bayern Munich boss Rummenigge said it was time for FIFA to increase transparency and move towards greater democracy.

"The recent happenings have once more proven that FIFA needs a change in its whole structure. As Chairman of the European Club Association, I request FIFA to immediately introduce democratic and transparent structures and procedures," Rummenigge demanded.

"European clubs will no longer accept that they do not participate in the decision-making when it comes to club-related matters.

"We will closely follow FIFA's development in this respect in the future and take appropriate measures, if there is no improvement."

European clubs have been at loggerheads with FIFA over their exclusion from the planning of the international calendar.

Clubs in Europe have also reacted angrily to suggestions that the traditional winter season running from August to May could be changed to allow for the 2022 FIFA World Cup to be held in January.

Blatter was re-elected for a fourth and final four-year term after winning an acrimonious election marred by allegations of corruption involving senior FIFA officials.

Blatter says the 88-year-old Kissinger has agreed to be on a "committee of wise persons" to advise FIFA's new corporate governance and compliance body.

Kissinger, who was secretary of state from 1973 to 1977 under presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, is an ardent football fan and worked on the failed United States bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Blatter also said on Wednesday that he wants to appoint Dutch great Johan Cruyff.

The committee will have the power to investigate and suggest solutions to problems as FIFA recovers from a bribery scandal.

The South Australian senator says 'not one more cent' should be spent on any further World Cup bids until the corruption scandal engulfing the international governing body, FIFA, is resolved.

"It appears corrupt and highly questionable behaviour goes to the core of FIFA," Senator Xenophon said in a statement on Monday.

Australia spent almost $46 million on a bid it was perhaps never in the running for because bribes were allegedly being taken for votes.

"Now we hear that bribes may have been made to fix the result for who will head up FIFA," Senator Xenophon said.

It has been alleged that two of the sport's most senior figures made cash gifts to national associations in return for their votes in next week's FIFA presidential election.

This follows allegations that representatives from voting nations sought bribes worth millions of dollars in return for their vote for Qatar to win the 2022 World Cup.

"The fact that corruption appears to be so pervasive in FIFA makes you wonder whether we should continue to invest millions of dollars in bids for events we'll never even be in the running to win," Senator Xenophon said.

"Until the investigation into FIFA has been completed, Australia must hold off spending any more taxpayers' money on any future World Cup bids."

The Everton midfielder was in Zurich last December to witness Australia's first-round elimination in voting before fellow bidders the United States, Japan and South Korea also bowed out.

Qatar won hosting rights despite a damning report citing the oppressive summer heat among the country's several roadblocks, leaving many crying foul.

Allegations of corruption during the bidding process have since caused further uproar.

But Cahill, who was part of Australia's $45 million failed bid, said the gulf nation was deserving of a chance to host the event.

"I was there for the bid and saw their presentation being made," he told the Nine Network on Sunday.

"To be totally honest with you, it was the best presentation I saw and the most impressive.

"I've never seen anything like it."

When asked if he wanted to go to the World Cup in Qatar he answered with an emphatic: "Yeah for sure".

The 31-year-old also brushed off widespread criticism of Qatar's ability to host the event, saying people are too quick to point out the negatives.

"They looked for so many faults in South Africa (host of the 2010 World Cup), everywhere they look for faults. But it's all about chances," he said.

"Qatar is one of the richest countries in the world and the thing is they will give every chance of making it happen.

"And if it means sticking air conditioning in every stadium and things like that, that's what they're going to have to do."

Cahill, who has played in England since 1997 - firstly with Millwall before moving to Everton in 2004 - also had strong advice for the development of Australian football, saying talent must go abroad to benefit the sport domestically.

"We have got so much talent here and I feel if the kids can get out at a younger age and can be released to go and fulfill their talent then it's the best thing for Australian football," he said.

"The A-League is fantastic and it's beautiful how it's growing but I really truly believe that the reason why me or Harry (Kewell) or Schwarzy (Mark Schwarzer) or any sort of player, has stayed at the top level for such a long time is because we left."

Cahill will miss Australia's coming friendly matches with New Zealand and Serbia after an arduous Premier League campaign.

The Qatari claimed the charge is a tactic by Sepp Blatter - his opponent in next week's FIFA presidential election.

Bin Hammam and FIFA vice-president Jack Warner, who has also been charged, will face FIFA's ethics committee on Sunday where they will face long bans if the allegations - made by fellow executive committee member Chuck Blazer - are proved.

Bin Hammam said in a statement: "This has been a difficult and painful day for me today. But, if there is even the slightest justice in the world, these allegations will vanish in the wind.

"This move is little more than a tactic being used by those who have no confidence in their own ability to emerge successfully from the FIFA presidential election."

Blazer, an American who is the general secretary of the CONCACAF federation of which Warner is president, has alleged that violations of FIFA's code of ethics occurred during a meeting organised by Bin Hammam and Warner for Caribbean Football Union (CFU) associations in the Bahamas two weeks ago.

Two CFU officials, Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester, have also been charged.

Bin Hammam added: "I remain deeply indebted to Mr Warner for his sense of fair play because without his support and understanding I would not have been able to meet with several important member associations of FIFA to discuss my election manifesto.

"Here I completely deny any allegations of wrongdoing either intentionally or unknowingly while I was in the Caribbean.

"I will speak to Mr Warner on this subject and offer him my full support in ensuring we are discharged honourably by the FIFA Ethics Committee, a body which I hold in the highest esteem.

"I am confident that there is no charge to answer and that I will be free to stand in the FIFA presidential election on June 1 as originally planned."

One is shaped like a traditional Arabic fishing boat and another like a sea urchin.

But the architects of the tiny Gulf nation's stadiums have now unveiled detailed plans that will allow organisers to remove as many as 170,000 seats from nine of the venues and send them to 22 locations in the developing world.

At a stadium conference in Doha this week, they said the initiative was aimed at making sure the World Cup would leave a long-lasting legacy.

"If we build up to the capacity which FIFA requires, afterward we would have a lot of white elephants around this area," said Karin Bertaloth, whose firm is designing six new stadiums and two that will be upgraded.

"I don't think Qatar needs this capacity. We have the concept to build first tier of the stadium permanently and the second would only be for 2022."

Many of the stadiums also have plans to incorporate hotels, parks and even a spa, or the flexibility to be converted for athletics or other sports.

The push to consider the future of World Cup stadiums is nothing new but has taken on much greater emphasis in Qatar where a population of 1.6 million people means football clubs can barely fill a 15,000-seat stadium let alone some of the 80,000 behemoths that are required for a World Cup.

It also coincides with changing attitudes in stadium design, with developers under pressure to build facilities that are cheaper, more sustainable and which have a long-term use beyond a sporting venue.

"Cities need to think about how a stadium can be used for alternative uses in the context of city, of the neighbourhood, of the community it is in," said Mark Fenwick, a director and partner with the designer of Education City stadium, which will go from 45,000 seats to 25,000 after the World Cup.

For Qatar, budget worries are not the driving force behind its strategy since the oil-and-gas rich country has one of the world's highest per capita incomes.

"In Qatar, it's less about financial aspect of it as it is about what the World Cup can do for the country," said Dan Meis, whose firm is building the Sports City stadium which will have moving seats, a moving pitch and a retractable roof.

"The idea of creating buildings to be multipurpose and long use, it ends up developing a lot more and that becomes a legacy for Qatar.

"The World Cup comes here, changes the country and creates development and experiences the country didn't have before."

But Qatar is also using the World Cup to raise its profile on the international stage and that is where the stadium donations come in.

It plans to donate two, 15,000-seat stadiums, eight 10,000-seat stadiums and 12 5,000-seat stadiums as part of a larger football development program that it says will 'contribute emphatically to development of football and local society'.

Eugene van Vuuren, a technical adviser for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa who spoke at the three-day, Stadium and Venue Design and Development conference, welcomed Qatar's offer to give away the seats but warned that it needs to factor in the upkeep and management of these new stadiums.

"It's not just good to give facilities but you have to maintain and upkeep it," he said.

"When you are in poorer countries, they just can't do it."

The tournament traditionally takes place in June and July but with temperatures in Qatar rising to 40 degrees Celsius in those months many have questioned whether it would be safe for the world's top footballers to play in such searing heat.

And that led to suggestions, some from FIFA president Joseph Blatter, that the first World Cup to be staged in the Middle East could take place in the European winter for all that it might interfere with the continent's club seasons.

But Bin Hammam, who will challenge Blatter for the FIFA presidency in Zurich on 1 June, insisted Qatari officials were happy with the schedule.

"As far as we're concerned in Qatar, we're not particularly interested in hosting the World Cup in winter," Bin Hammam told AFP.

"We're very happy with the current date and we've promised the world to host an exceptional World Cup in June/July.

"A lot of opinions have been expressed on this subject by world football officials but frankly it doesn't come down to two or three members of the (FIFA) Executive Committee to talk about a date change without taking into account those who made this decision."

Bin Hammam added: "Football in Europe has a long history, it's an entire industry backed by finance, media and marketing and as a result it would be unfair towards the Europeans to speak of a date change or calendar switch without consulting them and reaching full agreement."

UEFA president Michel Platini has expressed his hope that the 2022 World Cup could be played 'from November 20 to December 20 ... just before Christmas would be great'.

Australia was among the losers in the 2022 bidding process - Lowy leading a $45 million taxpayer-funded bid which garnered just one vote among FIFA's 24-man executive committee.

Lowy said most of his thoughts about the process - which has become the centre of explosive claims committee members sold their votes - were 'not fit for publication'.

But he said it had become obvious in the months since December's vote handed the 2022 World Cup to Qatar that the ballot was not a level playing field.

"I think it is becoming evident to all of us that it was not a level playing field that we participated in and that seems to be coming through," Lowy told his company Westfield's annual general meeting on Wednesday.

"The country paid $45 million. We have spent an enormous amount of time and energy and to come away with very little is very, very disappointing.

"I think the last word has not been heard about this."

But Lowy stopped short of saying the bidding process was corrupt.

"I have no evidence that I can say it was corrupt, but I think there are a lot of questions about the process," he said.

Qatar has been accused of paying bribes of US$1.5 million ($1.42 million) to FIFA vice-president Issa Hayatou from Cameroon and Ivory Coast delegate Jacques Anouma to vote for its bid.

They were among six FIFA executive committee members accused of receiving or asking for bribes during the bidding, a British parliamentary inquiry was told earlier this month.

Qatar's FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam has denied both the allegations of vote-buying, and that FIFA is corrupt.

But he has vowed to bring more transparency to football's world governing body if voted into the top job instead of incumbent Sepp Blatter on 1 June.

"People want to see more transparency in FIFA which is accused of being corrupt, whereas it isn't," the 61-year-old told AFP.

Blatter has told the MPs on the culture, media and sport committee that FIFA is focusing on its own investigation into claims of bribery.

The allegations that two FIFA executive committee members were paid US$1.5 million ($1.43 million) to vote for Qatar 2022 were contained in a Sunday Times submission to the committee that was made public by members under parliamentary privilege.

A FIFA spokesman told Press Association Sport: "FIFA has immediately asked both the Football Association and the Sunday Times for a report on this matter.

"With this in mind, FIFA has informed the culture, media and sport committee that it is focusing on its own investigation and that there is therefore no need for the FIFA president to attend the committee."

FIFA members Issa Hayatou of Cameroon and Jacques Anouma from the Ivory Coast have denied the claims, as have Qatar's World Cup bid team.

The claims centre on a whistleblower who has alleged that FIFA members Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma were paid US$1.5 million each to vote for Qatar, according to evidence given to a Parliamentary committee by the Sunday Times.

The pair deny the claims.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the newspaper has agreed to bring the whistleblower, who had worked for the Qatar 2022 bid organisation, to Zurich to testify in person.

Today, in a 1,672-word statement, the Qatari World Cup bid team hit back and made counter-allegations including that reporters posed as corrupt members of the United States bid.

The bid team also insisted the allegations were "completely false".

"The publication of the memorandum on the website of the CMS Select Committee has caused enormous and wholly unjustified potential damage to the bid committee and the individuals on it," said the statement.

"The aim of the bid committee has always been to show that the Middle East is a realistic option for staging the World Cup and it has worked extremely hard to bring the tournament to the Middle East for the first time.

"To have this achievement tarnished by completely unsubstantiated and false allegations and for those allegations to be propounded by the Parliament of the United Kingdom is something we find distressing, insulting and incomprehensible."

The statement continued: "For The Sunday Times to suggest that 'nobody of sound mind could be persuaded the support for Qatar' was based purely on merit, because Qatar is a 'small desert state with a minuscule population, no football traditions and hostile summer temperatures' is not only insulting, it exemplifies the sustained and unbalanced reporting that the bid committee has been subjected to."

It has been alleged that Qatar offered bribes in return for support at the vote in Zurich last December, when it beat off the challenge of, among others, the United States and Australia.

"What the memorandum does not state is that the reporters were posing as corrupt representatives of the United States bid and ostensibly soliciting further corruption from those with whom they were speaking, in return for substantial payments," said the statement.

"It appears that many of these individuals were simply seeking to impress the supposed US representatives and persuade them that it would be worth their while engaging them.

"Evidently, in such circumstances very little reliability can be attached to the words of such individuals."

The bid team also pointed out that allegations made by Michel Zen Ruffinen, the former FIFA general secretary, were immediately retracted by him and this was not made clear, an omission described as "astonishing and a matter of the greatest concern".

The bid team claims further "evidence" was provided by a former member of the Qatar effort who had an axe to grind after being released from duty.

"We are mystified as to why anyone formerly in the bid committee's employ would now seem intent on fabricating stories and would seriously question what his or her motivations are," said the statement.

"We would caution anyone against placing reliance on uncorroborated statements made by an embittered ex-employee.

"With regards to the allegations made in the Memorandum, the Bid Committee would like to point out:

"1. The allegations are completely false.

"2. The memorandum does not contain or refer to any first hand evidence of any bribes being paid or any impropriety on the part of the bid committee. All the allegations are hearsay and supposition. In addition, the allegations are wholly unsupported by any documentary material whatsoever.

"3. These individuals make serious allegations against the Bid Committee but fail to give any substantiation of the allegations. For example, they do not state when the alleged bribes were to be paid, how the negotiations with the individuals concerned had been conducted or crucially how they came to know of the alleged bribes. On any proper view, their evidence is worthless.

"4. The memorandum states that in the view of the reporters, the individuals "had no reason to fabricate these allegations". We do not agree for the reasons set out in this Statement.

"The Memorandum purports to explain the reasons for the decision of The Sunday Times not to publish in the newspaper some of the serious allegations.

"It states that this was on the basis that "none of the three people who made allegations against Qatar was ever likely to be willing to appear as a witness".

"The reporters will know that the newspaper would have a defence to any libel claim brought in respect of the publication of these allegations if it could show that it constituted responsible journalism to do so and that publication was in the public interest.

"However, it must have been plain to the newspaper and the reporters that so unreliable and unsubstantiated were the allegations, that it would not have constituted responsible journalism for these allegations to be published."

The person, who had worked for the Qatar 2022 bid organisation, alleged that FIFA members Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma were paid $US 1.5million each to vote for the Middle East state's World Cup bid, according to evidence given to a Parliamentary committee by the Sunday Times. The pair deny the claims.

Now Blatter, the FIFA president, has said that the newspaper has agreed to bring the whistleblower to Zurich to testify in person.

Speaking in an interview with reporters at FIFA headquarters, Blatter said: "We are anxiously awaiting for these evidences or non-evidences in order that we can take the adequate steps.

"The newspaper has agreed that we will bring this whistleblower here to Zurich and then we will have an investigation of this."

The interview will be conducted by FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke and legal director Marco Villiger.

Blatter said he was also keen for the independent investigation commissioned by the FA into other claims made by ex-chairman Lord Triesman to provide their findings as soon as possible - FIFA's Congress opens in 11 days.

Triesman alleged impropriety by four other FIFA members - Trinidad's Jack Warner, Thailand's Worawi Makudi, Brazil's Ricardo Teixeira and Paraguay's Nicolas Leoz - while he was head of England's 2018 World Cup bid, claiming in Parliament that they asked for cash or favours.

Blatter added: "We have to see evidence and then we will intervene. We have received the declarations made in the House of Commons but we have not received any evidence.

"The whole procedure cannot be done in 11 days but before 11 days we must know whether the allegations are true or not true - or unproven. If they are not true this case is over.

"The ethics committee is already alerted and alarmed - they are not just lying on the beach - and the members will come for the Congress and can convene at very short notice."

Blatter refused to be drawn on whether FIFA would organise a re-vote of the 2022 World Cup bid if the allegations are proven.

He added: "This is an idea circulating already around the world which is alarming. Don't ask me yes or no, let us go step by step."

The corruption claims have overshadowed the FIFA presidential election on June 1 where Blatter is standing against Asian confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam, who is from Qatar and played the key role in securing the 2022 tournament for his country.

Blatter has now received backing from all the continental confederations bar Asia - though this does not mean all the individual associations will follow suit.

Warner, the CONCACAF president, emailed Blatter this week giving the support of the organisation that covers football in north and central America and the Caribbean.

"I have just received an email from Mr Warner saying CONCACAF will always be your home ground," said Blatter.

FA chiefs have all but ruled out supporting current incumbent Sepp Blatter and last week's fresh allegations of World Cup bidding corruption involving Qatar makes it increasingly likely that they abstain in the vote on June 1.

Blatter's opponent is Mohamed Bin Hammam, whose own candidacy has been tarnished by claims in England's Parliament last week that two FIFA members were paid $US1.5 million to vote for Qatar 2022 - he played the key role in securing the tournament for his country.

At least one board member is planning to encourage fellow directors to register a protest vote by not voting for either candidate.

The board member told Press Association Sport: "The events of last week have not helped Bin Hammam, it would be very difficult to support Blatter so abstaining looks the most likely course."

David Bernstein, the FA chairman, has made it clear that abstaining is one of three choices to be put to the FA board, along with voting for Blatter, from Switzerland, or Bin Hammam.

Bernstein admitted last week "it wouldn't go down very well" with the public if the FA board decided to vote for the 75-year-old Blatter.

He said: "We will look at the recent events and take that on board. There are two candidates and three possible decisions, the other being that we will abstain."

One of the board members from the amateur game is Roger Burden, who withdrew his application to become FA chairman after the World Cup vote in December, saying he would have to work with FIFA and "I am not prepared to deal with people whom I cannot trust."

The Premier League members may argue in favour of Bin Hammam - they have developed close links with the head of the Asian confederation - but are unlikely to win a majority.

The members will also discuss their budget and strategy for international development, though a decision may be deferred until next month.

The final decision will affect funding to three of Africa's poorest countries with high-profile relationships with Malawi, Lesotho and Botswana under threat.

The FA decided to review its international projects after the 2018 bid humiliation last year where England won just two FIFA votes - one of those from English vice-president Geoff Thompson.

Amadou Diallo, based in Paris but originally from the west African country of Guinea, was alleged in Parliament this week to have been the go-between when bribes were paid by Qatar to African FIFA members.

Diallo is a close friend of Mohamed Bin Hammam, the Qatari president of the Asian Football Confederation who is standing against Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency.

FIFA has confirmed that Diallo worked on the organisation's Goal Bureau, the committee headed by Bin Hammam which distributes money to football development projects across the world. Diallo's task was to monitor the projects and he was paid on a freelance basis from 2001 until 2007 directly from the Goal Bureau chairman Bin Hammam's budget.

The payments did go through the FIFA administration however.

A FIFA statement said: "We can confirm that Amadou Diallo was working until April 2007 paid by FIFA on a Goal Bureau chairman budget with the task of monitoring Goal projects."

FIFA insiders said they were 'not thrilled' to learn from their files of the connection. The budget in question appears to no longer exist - certainly no money has been paid out of it this year - but there is no suggestion of any impropriety concerning the FIFA payments to Diallo.

According to a submission to Parliament by the Sunday Times, Diallo was named by ex-FIFA general secretary Michel Zen-Ruffinen as being at the centre of arranging financial deals with African FIFA executive members in return for World Cup votes.

The submission says Diallo 'had been employed by the Qatar bid' and also worked for Issa Hayatou, the president of the African football confederation (CAF), who along with Jacques Anouma of the Ivory Coast was alleged to have been paid US$1.5 million ($1.4 million) to vote for Qatar. They deny the claims.

Bin Hammam confirmed this week that Diallo was a good friend but insisted neither he nor Qatar had done anything wrong, nor had Diallo worked for Qatar.

Bin Hammam told Press Association Sport: "He's a close friend of mine and if you know the role he plays you will laugh at these allegations. He's simply a friend of mine and he has nothing to do with Qatar or anyone.

"I will meet up with him from time to time and he will travel with me here and there, but he is not playing any part in the decisions I take."

According to sources, Diallo and Bin Hammam regularly travel together and were at the CAF Congress in Khartoum in February when Mohamed Raouraoua of Algeria topped the election for the FIFA executive and Anouma also kept his seat.

Bin Hammam, the Qatari president of the Asian Football Confederation, cited Blatter's recent decision to commit 20million euros to a joint anti-corruption investigation with Interpol as evidence of the Swiss running the game "how (he) sees fit".

"It has become clear yet again in recent days that something urgently needs to be done to improve and enhance the image of FIFA," Bin Hammam wrote on his personal blog.

"The name of our great sport and its leading institution have been dragged through the mud once more.

"I will happily and unreservedly restate that I firmly believe FIFA, as a decision-making body and as an organisation, is not corrupt."

He added: "However, under the current status quo it is impossible to deny that the governing body's reputation has been sullied beyond compare and it is time for that to change.

"Currently, the president has taken on too much of an executive role, as evidenced by the recently announced initiative to donate 20m euros to Interpol. Imagine FIFA financing Interpol's activities!

"This decision was taken arbitrarily by the FIFA president and was not discussed with the executive committee. It is just another example of the current regime choosing to run football how it sees fit, rather than doing so in a manner that is consistent with the governing body's proper procedures."

Bin Hammam, who was instrumental in securing the 2022 World Cup hosting rights for his home country and who will take on Blatter in the June 1 election, believes the time is therefore right for a change at the organisation's summit.

"How on earth can we convince people of FIFA's innocence?," he asked.

"A new atmosphere needs to descend upon FIFA; there needs to be an opportunity for new ideas to take hold and for the organisation to take a new direction."

Damian Collins, who used Parliamentary privilege on Tuesday to state allegations that two FIFA executive members - Cameroon's Issa Hayatou and Ivory Coast's Jacques Anouma - had been paid $US1.5 million to vote for Qatar 2022, said giving up the privileges would be a price worth paying.

The FA, along with the associations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, have their own FIFA vice-president. They also are the only individual national associations represented on the game's law-making body, the International FA Board, where they each have a vote along with FIFA which has four votes.

The special privileges have long caused some resentment among some figures in world football and Collins said England's FA could take the lead on reform by offering to give them up.

Collins, MP for Folkestone and Hythe, told Press Association Sport: "The FA should be at the vanguard of pushing for the reform of FIFA. We should be leading the call for change and should be prepared to ruffle a few feathers.

"We should be prepared to give concessions in order to achieve reform and be prepared to consider giving up the historic privileges."

Collins said the reforms should include the World Cup bidding process, that there should be strict rules governing contact between bidding nations and FIFA ExCo members, and that FIFA should consider re-staging the 2022 vote if the allegations against Qatar are proved.

He added: "The process for awarding the World Cup should ideally have more members having a say and clearer rules about the contact between members of the FIFA executive and the bidding countries.

"FIFA should also make clear that if the allegations against Qatar were to be proven that they would re-open the process for awarding the 2022 World Cup."

Mohamed Bin Hammam, the Qatari president of the Asian football confederation who did much to secure the 2022 World Cup for his country, has denied any bribes were paid.

Bin Hammam said: "I can assure you nothing like this has happened from our side. If someone wants to damage reputations like this then they have to provide the proof. You can't just accuse people just like that. It didn't happen."

Former FA and England 2018 chairman Lord Triesman has also claimed that four other FIFA members asked for favours or money in return for World Cup votes.

Sports minister Hugh Robertson said that pressure for reform will also come when Poland takes over the presidency of the European Commission.

He said: "Cleaning up sport is one of the key objectives of the Polish presidency for next year."

Hayatou has denied receiving bribes - the allegations were contained in a submission to Parliament by the Sunday Times.

A statement by the Confederation of African Football - Hayatou is its president - stated: "This kind of reporting to create and propagate false information to destroy his reputation, leadership and integrity will not succeed.

"The President of CAF said all these accusations brought against him are pure invention and an attempt to discredit him."

Meanwhile Sepp Blatter's bid to be re-elected as FIFA president has been given a further boost after the Oceania confederation confirmed its support for him.

Blatter is being challenged by Bin Hammam at a June 1 election which will be held at the FIFA Congress in Zurich.

The 75-year-old appears to be leading the race for re-election, however, after UEFA last week signed a letter backing Blatter and urging "all UEFA member associations to do likewise".

Oceania has followed suit following a meeting of its executive committee in Auckland today.

"As the 61st FIFA Congress draws closer, OFC has confirmed its support for the re-election of FIFA president Joseph Blatter citing a range of initiatives that have positively impacted the region under his leadership," a statement read.

FA general secretary Alex Horne has wrote to FIFA enclosing some of the evidence provided to the Parliamentary select committee and promising to provide the rest as soon as possible.

Two FIFA executive committee (ExCo) members have been accused in the committee of being paid US$1.5 million to vote for Qatar's 2022 World Cup bid.

Former FA and England 2018 bid chairman Lord Triesman also alleged there had been 'improper and unethical' behaviour by four other FIFA ExCo members including asking for money and a knighthood when he was lobbying for England's World Cup bid.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the allegations had to be dealt with before the body's Congress in Zurich in three weeks' time.

He told Al Jazeera: "We have to do it very fast.

"We have a Congress to come and have to deal with this matter before the Congress and not just kick it out of the minds of FIFA and [say] we will deal with it afterwards.

"We have to do it now, immediately, and we have three weeks.

"We must accelerate the movement, whether it is for the good or for the bad."

FIFA said in a statement that general secretary Jerome Valcke had written to the FA and expressed 'extreme concern' at the allegations 'questioning the integrity of some FIFA ExCo members in connection with the bidding procedure for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups'.

In his letter, Valcke asked for the FA to provide all available evidence with 'the utmost urgency'.

The allegations of bribes paid for votes for Qatar were contained in a submission to the culture, media and sport committee by the Sunday Times.

The FIFA statement continued: "The Sunday Times had already provided world's football governing body with all of the evidence and documentation at its disposal. Nevertheless, FIFA asks the English newspaper to submit as soon as possible any other piece of evidence that it may be in possession of and which has not yet been sent to FIFA. In particular, reference is made in the letter to the allegations regarding a 'whistleblower who had worked with the Qatar bid', who allegedly made some declarations regarding the matter in question."

Mohamed Bin Hammam, the Qatari president of the Asian Football Confederation who did much to secure the 2022 World Cup for his country, has denied any bribes were paid.

Bin Hammam told Press Association Sport: "I can assure you nothing like this has happened from our side.

"If someone wants to damage reputations like this then they have to provide the proof. You can't just accuse people just like that.

"It didn't happen. It is fine to say something, to try to damage the reputation of somebody but where is the proof?"

Triesman alleged FIFA vice-president Jack Warner asked for cash to build an education centre; that Thailand's FIFA member Worawi Makudi wanted to be given the TV rights to a friendly between England and the Thai national team; that Paraguay's FIFA member Nicolas Leoz asked for a knighthood and that Brazil's FIFA member Ricardo Terra Teixeira asked Triesman to 'come and tell me what you have got for me'.

Warner said he 'laughed like hell' at Triesman's claims.

He said: "First of all, I laugh like hell because it took those guys from December to now [to say] that I have £2.5million I believe. I never asked anybody for anything.

"When these guys came here, we promised to help. I showed them a place where they can put a playground. They promised to come back but they never did. That's all.

"What is painful is that the FA spent £19million in a bid, 24 persons in the FIFA, one is from England, seven of whom from Europe. If the other 16 persons were bad, how come the only vote they got is the Englishman's vote? How come not even one person from Europe voted for them?

"And they're looking for all different reasons. Why don't they, in a dispassionate way, sit down and ask why not one European voted for them?"

Sports minister Hugh Robertson, meanwhile, backtracked on a suggestion that the FA would pull out of FIFA if it did not tackle corruption.

After initially saying 'all options are open', Robertson later said: "Leaving FIFA is not on the agenda but all the effort at Government level is on trying to get reform at FIFA.

"FIFA need to have a look at what the International Olympic Committee did after the Salt Lake City scandal and the reforms they made."

FA chairman David Bernstein said: "I can confirm that we have received a letter from Jerome Valcke at FIFA following the Select Committee hearing this week. We have already written to Mr Valcke pledging our support for the FIFA investigation and will co-operate fully with it."

According to a submission to Parliament by the Sunday Times, Diallo was named by ex-FIFA general secretary Michel Zen-Ruffinen as being at the centre of arranging financial deals with the FIFA executive members in return for World Cup votes.

The submission says Diallo, who is based in Paris but believed to be from Equatorial Guinea, 'had been employed by the Qatar bid' and also worked for Issa Hayatou, the president of the African Football Confederation, who along with Jacques Anouma of the Ivory Coast was alleged to have been paid US$1.5 million ($1.41 million) to vote for Qatar.

Bin Hammam, the Qatari president of the Asian football confederation who did much to secure the 2022 World Cup for his country, confirmed Diallo was a good friend but insisted neither he nor Qatar had done anything wrong, nor had Diallo worked for Qatar.

Bin Hammam told Press Association Sport: "He's a close friend of mine and if you know the role he plays you will laugh at these allegations. He's simply a friend of mine and he has nothing to do with Qatar or anyone."

The bribe allegations were backed up by a whistleblower who had worked for the Qatar bid as recently as December, says the submission, which also claimed a similar deal had been struck by Nigerian member Amos Adamu but he was prevented from voting because he had been banned following the Sunday Times investigation.

Bin Hammam insisted Qatar had paid no bribes.

He added: I can assure you nothing like this has happened from our side.

"If someone wants to damage reputations like this then they have to provide the proof. You can't just accuse people just like that.

"It didn't happen. It is fine to say something, to try to damage the reputation of somebody but where is the proof?"

According to the Sunday Times' submission, which has been sent to FIFA by the Football Association, Diallo was the go-between connecting Qatar 2022 and African members.

It says: "In Cairo, Zen-Ruffinen introduced the reporters to an acquaintance called Amadou Diallo.

"Zen Ruffinen claimed that Qatar was using Diallo to arrange financial deals with the African members in exchange for World Cup votes.

"Further inquiries established that Diallo had been employed by the Qatar bid and was also the 'charge de mission' (chief assistant) to Issa Hayatou."

Bin Hammam is standing against Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency on 1 June, and he insisted his plans for an expanded executive committee - 43 members rather than 24 - and an independent 'transparency committee' to oversee FIFA would restore confidence in the world governing body.

"I want to increase the decision-making body to 43 members - this is where I believe we will have more transparency," said Bin Hammam.

"My other solution is for the establishment of an independent 'transparency' committee to be set up away from FIFA and use the services of judges, lawyers or anyone they want."

Qatar has not denied spending lavishly on bid ambassadors - former France international Zinedine Zidane was paid US$3 million ($2.82 million), according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

The Middle East country also committed to investments in projects in several home countries of FIFA members, the WSJ reported in January.

Robertson, speaking after former England 2018 chairman Lord David Triesman accused FIFA voters of 'improper and unethical' conduct, said the organisation should follow the example of the Olympics after the Salt Lake City scandal.

"Leaving FIFA is not on the agenda but all the effort at government level is on trying to get reform at FIFA," Robertson said.

"FIFA need to have a look at what the International Olympic Committee did after the Salt Lake City scandal and the reforms they made.

"Three cities are bidding to host the Winter Olympics with the decision in July, and there is not a suggestion from anyone that this is anything other than a fair contest. FIFA needs to get to that position."

In testimony to a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday, Triesman named four FIFA executive committee members who had requested cash and a knighthood in exchange for their votes in the 2018 World Cup ballot.

Two other FIFA officials were named by the parliamentary hearing as having accepted bribes to influence the vote for the 2022 World Cup, controversially won by Qatar.

Although the allegations have cast fresh doubt on the dual votes for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, Robertson said there was no possibility the ballots could be held again.

"There is no practical chance of the process being re-run - that would be a huge admission of failure by FIFA," he said, adding that Triesman's allegations would be almost impossible to prove.

"I think we have to be honest as a country that Lord Triesman made these allegations in Parliament but they are going to be very difficult to actually prove because these were just conversations he had with individuals."

In comments reported by Sky Sports television, Blatter said he could not be held responsible for the conduct of individual members.

"If this is true, I will fight this," Blatter was quoted by Sky as saying.

"I am fighting for FIFA to clean FIFA.

"I cannot answer for individual members of our committee. I cannot say if they are all angels or if they are all devils."

British members of parliament have said they would contact Blatter demanding an investigation in to the latest evidence "as a matter of urgency."

It came after the parliamentary committee heard evidence alleging six members of FIFA's executive committee had sought cash or honours ahead of the votes to decide the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Jack Warner, the influential head of the North and Central American federation CONCACAF, dismissed evidence given by former England 2018 bid chairman David Triesman as "a piece of nonsense."

"No doubt he feels he can revive his dying political career by mentioning that piece of foolishness," Warner was quoted as saying by Sky.

"I've never asked Triesman nor any other person, Englishman or otherwise, for any money for my vote at any time."

Two FIFA executive members were accused in the British Parliament of being paid $US1.5million ($1.4million) to vote for Qatar's World Cup bid.

Bin Hammam, the president of the Asian Football Confederation who is from Qatar, has insisted that was not the case - and demanded proof of the allegations.

Bin Hammam said: "I can assure you nothing like this has happened from our side.

"If someone wants to damage reputations like this then they have to provide the proof. You can't just accuse people just like that.

"It didn't happen. It is fine to say something, to try to damage the reputation of somebody but where is the proof?"

Bin Hammam is standing against Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency on June 1 and said his plans for an expanded executive committee - 43 members rather than 24 - and an independent 'transparency committee' to oversee FIFA would restore confidence in the world governing body.

FIFA executive committee members Issa Hayatou from Cameroon and Jacques Anouma from the Ivory Coast were alleged by the Sunday Times' submission to Parliament's culture, media and sport committee to have been paid $US1.5million to vote for Qatar.

Former Football Association and England 2018 World Cup bid chairman Lord Triesman also alleged there had been "improper and unethical" behaviour by four other ExCo members including asking for money and a knighthood when he was lobbying for England's World Cup bid.

Sports minister Hugh Robertson has called on FIFA to implement a wholesale reform of its World Cup bidding process.

Robertson said that the FA breaking away from FIFA was "not on the agenda" but that drastic change was needed at the sport's world governing body.

Robertson said: "Leaving FIFA is not on the agenda but all the effort at Government level is on trying to get reform at FIFA.

"FIFA need to have a look at what the International Olympic Committee did after the Salt Lake City scandal and the reforms they made."

Meanwhile, FIFA vice-president Jack Warner said he "laughed like hell" at Triesman's claims that he asked for money to build an education centre in Trinidad at an estimated cost of £2.5million.

Warner told Trinidad newspaper Newsday: "First of all, I laugh like hell because it took those guys from December to now [to say] that I have £2.5million I believe. I never asked anybody for anything.

"When these guys came here, we promised to help. I showed them a place where they can put a playground. They promised to come back but they never did. That's all.

"What is painful is that the FA spent £19million in a bid, 24 persons in the FIFA, one is from England, seven of whom from Europe. If the other 16 persons were bad, how come the only vote they got is the Englishman's vote? How come not even one person from Europe voted for them?

"And they're looking for all different reasons. Why don't they, in a dispassionate way, sit down and ask why not one European voted for them?"

Triesman claimed Warner also asked for £500,000 to buy Haiti World Cup TV rights for the earthquake-hit nation; that Thailand's FIFA member Worawi Makudi wanted to be given the TV rights to a friendly between England and the Thai national team; that Paraguay's FIFA member Nicolas Leoz asked for a knighthood while Brazil's FIFA member Ricardo Terra Teixeira asked Triesman to "come and tell me what you have got for me".

With two other FIFA members, Amos Adamu from Nigeria and Reynald Temarii from Tahiti, banned by the body's ethics committee last year, it means eight FIFA ExCo members - one third of the total of 24 - have either been alleged to have been or already found guilty of impropriety in relation to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids.

Adamu was also named in evidence provided by the Sunday Times to the committee as having been bribed by Qatar, but his suspension prevented him from voting.

Jerome Valcke, FIFA's secretary general, questioned why former FA and England 2018 bid chairman Lord Triesman did not bring the allegations to the world governing body before.

Triesman told a Parliamentary committee there had been "improper and unethical" behaviour by four FIFA executive committee (ExCo) members including asking for money and a knighthood when he was lobbying for England.

"It could have been said before. If it was known, why did it not come to our attention? Why were we not informed?" Valcke asked.

Two more FIFA members, Issa Hayatou from Cameroon and Jacques Anouma fromCote d'ivoire, were alleged to have been paid $US1.5million ($A1.4million) to vote for Qatar for the 2022 World Cup, according to claims highlighted by MPs at the culture, media and sport committee in the House of Commons.

With two other FIFA members, Amos Adamu from Nigeria and Reynald Temarii from Tahiti, banned by the body's ethics committee last year, it means no fewer than eight FIFA ExCo members - one third of the total of 24 - have either been alleged to have been or already found guilty of impropriety in relation to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids.

Adamu was also named in evidence provided by the Sunday Times to the committee as having been bribed by Qatar but his suspension preventing him from voting.

Valcke denied claims by MPs that FIFA had failed to reply to an official letter about the Qatar claims.

"There was a letter and we did definitely reply," Valcke said.

"But there has not been a single time, apart from what we got from a UK newspaper, where we got any evidence anything was wrong during the process.

"I'm not saying anyone is lying but if we had clear information that there was some kind of evidence we would have immediately asked for it."

Triesman gave evidence of "improper and unethical" behaviour by four other executive committee members.

He said FIFA vice-president Jack Warner asked for money to build an education centre in Trinidad with the cash to be channelled through him, and money to buy Haiti World Cup TV rights for the earthquake-hit nation, also to go through Warner.

Paraguay's FIFA member Nicolas Leoz asked for a knighthood while Brazil's FIFA member Ricardo Terra Teixeira asked Triesman to "come and tell me what you have got for me".

Thailand's FIFA member Worawi Makudi wanted to be given the TV rights to a friendly between England and the Thai national team, Triesman added.

"These were some of the things that were put to me personally, sometimes in the presence of others, which in my view did not represent proper and ethical behaviour on the part of members of the executive committee," Triesman said.

John Whittingdale, chairman of the committee, said he would now be writing to FIFA president Sepp Blatter to launch an investigation in to the evidence "as a matter of urgency".

And the FA's chief operating officer Alex Horne pledged to bring any evidence of corruption to FIFA as quickly as possible.

Horne was in Zurich attending the inaugural meeting of FIFA's Task Force 2014 when news of the fresh corruption scandal broke.

"We will make sure the evidence gets to the FIFA ethics committee," Horne said.

"So many people put so much time into the vote but we've tried to move on. I'm not sure what the protocol is but we will recommend the select committee passes any evidence over to FIFA."

The shock claims were highlighted by MPs at the culture, media and sport committee in the House of Commons.

Tory MP Damian Collins said that evidence submitted by the Sunday Times, which the committee will publish, claimed that FIFA vice-president Issa Hayatou from Cameroon and Jacques Anouma from the Ivory Coast were paid $US1.5million by Qatar.

FIFA's ethics committee last year banned two other executive committee members after a Sunday Times investigation into World Cup bidding.

Collins said: "The Sunday Times' submission, and this is to be published by us later, claims that $US1.5million was paid to FIFA executive committee members Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma who went on to vote for Qatar."

Collins said the submission claimed Qatar specifically employed a fixer to arrange deals with African members for their votes.

Australia was eliminated in the first round of voting for the 2022 event.

Radio Television Suisse says the incident was a 'serious violation of press freedom'.

Reporter Christophe Cerf and cameraman Yvan Thorimbert were stopped on 1 April, handcuffed and interrogated at police stations in Mesaieed and Wakra.

The network says a judge in Doha fined the journalists, confiscated their camera and stopped them leaving the emirate.

Switzerland's ambassador in Kuwait intervened and the pair left with their camera after 13 days.

RTS says its journalists had previous assurances from Qatari diplomats in Geneva that they could film freely.

Concerned by soaring summer temperatures in the Gulf state, Platini is keen for the tournament to be transferred to the winter months, but tournament organisers are adamant it will take place during the summer.

"I think, I hope, that we'll play in December," said Platini.

"From November 20 to December 20, just before Christmas. It would be great.

"In South Africa (at last year's World Cup), there was nothing festive, there was no life after the matches, as it was zero degrees (Celsius) in the evening.

"We can't go to Qatar in the summer when it's 55 degrees. When you assign a tournament 10 years in advance, you have to establish when it would be best, so that the people who go are happy."

The World Cup traditionally takes place in June and July, and moving it to the winter would necessitate a re-organisation of the calendar in some of the world's major league championships.

"You can finish a national championship in mid-June," said Platini.

"And starting again after the World Cup, after Christmas, isn't a problem. The players will have taken their holidays three months before.

"We won't need to put in a month-long break. I think it would be good."

The choice of Qatar, whose national team has never qualified for the World Cup, to host the 2022 tournament drew criticism in some quarters, but Platini defended FIFA's choice to take the game across new frontiers.

"Football belongs to everyone, football is universal," said the former France playmaker.

"Qatar in 2022 or the Under-21 European Championship in Israel in 2013, it's good for the development of football in regions that are just as passionate about the game as in Europe, if not perhaps more passionate."

The BBC claimed a freedom of information request had revealed diplomats and the Football Association sought to build an alliance with Qatar to help England's bid.

England's bid to host the tournament gained just two votes as it was eliminated in the first round, while Qatar's bid for the 2022 World Cup was successful.

According to the BBC report, correspondence from foreign office and embassy officials in Qatar said the support of the Emir of Qatar would be crucial to England's chances.

The report said a plan was discussed to use the influence of the Duke of York, the United Kingdom's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment since 2001, to gain a voting alliance.

The BBC said the Duke of York's press office had denied any lobbying with Qatar took place and that the FA had declined to comment.

FIFA says it has been alerted to emails inviting people to submit tenders for World Cup contracts or claim competition prizes.

Recipients are asked to provide personal information or advance payments to the fraudsters.

The scam is known as a '419', named for a section of the Nigerian legal code it violates.

FIFA says the emails have no authorisation from it, the 2018 World Cup being hosted by Russia or the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter recently suggested the timing of the tournament in Qatar was 'settled for the summer' amid concerns over the problems a winter tournament would cause to the scheduling of domestic leagues.

But speaking during British Prime Minister David Cameron's visit to the region, head of state Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani told Mr Cameron he would 'ask the people what they want' and a final decision had not been taken.

Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al Thani has also revealed he does not know the rules of football.

When pressed on his knowledge of the sport, he told reporters: "I must confess I am very weak in the sport.

"I do not know the rules. I like sport, of course, but I am not involved in sport."

Controversy has surrounded FIFA's decision to award the tournament to the Gulf state amid fears over the searing heat, which has led to suggestions that it could be played in the winter, and its legacy.

However, Middlesbrough frontman McDonald has just returned to Teesside from his country's AFC Asian Cup campaign in Qatar and was impressed with what he saw.

He told Boro's official website, www.mfc.co.uk: "The competition went well and as a tournament, it was very professionally run and the future looks good for the World Cup there.

"You can't really see why they shouldn't be ready to stage the finals.

"The difference this time was there were only 16 teams and there will be 32 at the next one, all within about 50 kilometres of each other, which might be difficult.

"There's a lot of development to be done, but if anyone can do it, they can.

"There were a lot of eyes on them and from what I can see, it was very well done and the people were all very friendly."

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has indicated that the finals will, after all, take place in the summer of 2022, although 27-year-old McDonald can understand the arguments for staging it during the winter.

He said: "If I'm truthful, this time of year is probably the best time to have it if you are going to have it there.

"For tradition, we would all like it to be in June time. They are saying everything will be air-conditioned, but what happens if one breaks down?

"There's a lot to be taken into consideration, but I'm sure whenever it's held, they will hold a very professional World Cup."

FIFA president Sepp Blatter confirmed this week that the tournament would be played in the northern hemisphere summer, just weeks after suggesting it could be moved to winter.

North, who spent a month in Qatar with the Socceroos at the AFC Asian Cup, said that it would result in a sub-standard World Cup.

"I've played in qualifiers in June-July and it (the heat) is just dreadful," North said.

"You can't play world-class football in that heat."

Australia made the final of the Asian Cup, played in January where the temperatures are typically in the mid-20s Celsius, conditions North found to his liking.

"They've got to move it so it was like it was when we were there. It would be fantastic if they could because you can't play in 45 degree heat."

But Blatter said there were no plans to stage the World Cup in the European winter months.

"Everything is settled now for summer and with all 64 matches in the territory of Qatar," he told the BBC.

Qatar controversially won the right to host the tournament in December defeating bids from Australia, Japan, South Korea and United States.

It plans to use air-conditioned stadiums to combat the stifling desert heat.

While the timing of the tournament does not sit well with North, he was impressed with the facilities in Qatar.

"It was first class. At the training facilities the grass was like carpet."

The quality of the stadiums also got his seal of approval and he felt the compactness of the emirate could be an advantage for fans.

"You could watch two World Cup games in one day. Every stadium is only 10 minutes from each other," he said.

With temperatures in June and July stifling in the Gulf, Blatter said last month: "I expect it will be held in winter."

However, he has now told the BBC "the matter is on ice" and "everything is settled now for summer".

"I am not in favour of one or the other," Blatter said.

"What I did say, winter is not only January or February.

"I think for the time being the matter is on ice."

Blatter revealed a delegation from Qatar indicated the tournament would be held in summer.

"Everything is settled now for summer and all the 64 matches will be played in the territory of Qatar," he added.

Less than two months after helping Qatar surprisingly land the 2022 FIFA World Cup following a scandal-filled voting process, Bin Hammam said the FIFA president's longevity in office has contributed to the perception that the organisation is corrupt.

"Everybody is going to accuse us today as corrupted people because maybe people see Mr Blatter has stayed a long time in FIFA," Bin Hammam told AP.

"Thirty-five years in one organisation is quite long time.

"No matter how clean you are, honest or how correct you are, still people will attack you. You are going to be defenceless.

"That is why I believe change is the best thing for the organisation."

The 74-year-old Blatter joined FIFA in 1975 as technical director, became secretary-general in 1981 and president in 1998.

He is up for re-election for a fourth four-year term as FIFA president in June, and so far no one is running against him.

Although Bin Hammam has said he wants to someday replace Blatter, he declined to say whether he would challenge the Swiss incumbent this year.

"I did not make up my mind yet," Bin Hammam said.

"I would rather wait and see."

But Bin Hammam is hoping someone will run against Blatter.

"I'm actually seeking to see competition within FIFA for the post.

"I would prefer to see two candidates proposing themselves, or maybe more than two proposing themselves to the congress of FIFA," Bin Hammam said.

"Competition is good for the organisation, whether president or any other posts. Competition is the best way to make the organisation vibrant and alive."

Two members of the 24-man executive committee were suspended before the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup vote in December because of ethics violations.

Russia was awarded the 2018 tournament and Qatar was given 2022, beating Australia's bid.

Controversy continues to simmer around FIFA's decision to award the tiny gulf nation hosting rights for the event ahead of several other ready-made candidates.

Australia was humiliated in its bid to host the tournament, receiving just one vote from the executive committee and leaving a sour taste in the mouths of many.

But if Neill or any of his Socceroos team-mates are bitter they certainly aren't showing it, giving Qatar a thumbs up after two weeks spent in Doha for the AFC Asian Cup.

"I've had the privilege to meet the people associated with the bid now and the dreams and the ideas and plans they have for it, if half of it comes true it's going to be an amazing place to be," Neill said.

" ... They've got the infrastructure, they've got the financial backing, they can do whatever they want and I'm sure they will and the people will love the football here."

The Asian Cup has put the spotlight on Qatar after it beat out Australia, the US, South Korea and Japan to host the 2022 event.

The early indications have been mostly positive with the tournament's facilities top notch and organisation silky smooth.

But the biggest blight has been poor attendance figures and a general lack of atmosphere surrounding the tournament.

Less than 4,000 fans saw Australia's 1-0 win over Bahrain, while there were barely 2,000 supporters to watch powerhouses Japan and Saudi Arabia.

Crowd numbers for games involving the host nation were significantly higher but even the thrilling 3-2 quarter-final loss to favourite Japan didn't attract a full house at Al Gharafa Stadium.

Neill said 'whether the rest of the world buys into' the 2022 event would be crucial to its success but was confident the lure of World Cup football would ensure that.

"If you start getting Brazil and Germany and France and England, all these team, you're never going to not fill a stadium," Neill said.

"The world's going to want to come and see World Cup football, whoever hosts it.

"Regardless of how people got the bid or whether they deserved it or not, it's football.

"The decision's been made and, showing good sportsmanship like Australians should, we shake hands and congratulate them and hope that they do put on a great tournament because it's still football."

The Qatari, who is also the president of the Asian Football Confederation, has repeatedly said he wants the World Cup to be in the northern summer months.

But on Thursday, Bin Hammam softened his stance.

"I'm not opposed, but I'm not proposing," Bin Hammam said, adding that any discussion should not take place until after 2018, when Russia will host the World Cup.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has supported moving the tournament to avoid the searing heat in Qatar, and several other top football executives in Europe have agreed.

FIFA executive committee member Franz Beckenbauer was the first to suggest the idea, and he was followed by UEFA President Michel Platini.

Blatter said it was worth studying and FIFPro, which represents professional football players worldwide, said the event "must be held in (northern) winter".

But the big football clubs remain unconvinced.

They are reluctant to change the international calendar and are concerned over a loss of revenue from breaking up the season.

Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup last month despite concerns over temperatures which routinely exceed 40 degrees celsius.

Soon after Qatar beat out the United States, Australia, Japan and South Korea, a growing list of football executives began calling for moving the tournament to January, when it is much cooler in Qatar.

In December, Bin Hammam told a football conference it would benefit players to move the tournament to January.

He said a northern winter World Cup would ensure players would be in better shape and wouldn't be exhausted after completing a gruelling season.

But last week, he told Sky News Qatar would be "ready in June, July and we said we are going to face all the challenges and we are going to meet all the requirement. Our focus is June, July."

Bin Hammam, who is considering a possible run for the FIFA presidency, also told Sky he sympathises with the European clubs which would be hit hardest by a change.

The high temperatures in Qatar during summer months has led to talk of the tournament being moved to a cooler time of year.

That has in turn caused concern for domestic leagues which would see their seasons interrupted by the unusual positioning of the tournament in the football calendar.

FIFA today clarified its position, stressing Qatar would have to make the first move if the 2022 tournament is to take place in winter.

A FIFA statement said: "At this stage there are no concrete plans to change the international match calendar.

"Any potential move of the 2022 FIFA World Cup from a summer to a winter period would have to be initiated by the football association of Qatar and would have to be presented to the FIFA executive committee."

Tournament organisers on Monday also addressed concerns as to why the apparently sell-out must-win final group game between the host and Kuwait at the 40,000 capacity Khalifa Stadium on Sunday saw many seats unoccupied.

That same evening, only 3,529 people were at Al Gharafa Stadium - capacity 22,000 - to see a thrilling 2-2 draw between China, the world's most populous country, and Uzbekistan.

The result saw the Uzbeks top their group and China go home, while Qatar also progressed to the last eight with a 3-0 win.

"We try our best to attract people to come here," said tournament director Tokuaki Suzuki, adding it was particularly hard to draw large crowds to stadiums when there are two games going on at the same time.

"There are not so many people who came to Qatar from China," he said.

"We are trying our best to attract fans to the stadiums."

Qatar, which is smaller than the Pacific island of Vanuatu or the American state of Connecticut, controversially won the right to host the World Cup in 2022 ahead of Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States.

Iran coach Afshin Ghotbi has been among those who has pleaded with local people to fill stadiums at the Asian Cup, warning: "The world is watching."

But his call has gone largely unheeded, with stadiums usually about half-full.

Organisers were also left embarrassed after Qatar fans left in their droves well before the end of the host's opening 2-0 defeat to Uzbekistan.

The cavernous Khalifa Stadium was eerily empty by the time the final whistle blew, the celebrations of the Uzbeks' small travelling contingent echoing around the ground.

Jassim Al Rumaihi, spokesman for the local organising committee, admitted he was "shocked" by the vast rows of empty seats at the China-Uzbekistan game.

"Tickets go to the corporate companies, but unfortunately some people don't come," he said.

"I was shocked because 8,000 tickets were sold at Al Gharafa," he added, calling it "a big gap" between the number of tickets sold and the little more than 3,500 fans actually at the stadium.

"We are making every effort to get bigger crowds, especially in the second round of games, I hope."

Of the game involving the World Cup hosts Sunday, where there was an official crowd of 28,339, leaving about 12,000 seats vacant, he said: "We saw a lot of empty seats at the match. Some people buy tickets, but they don't come.

"In future we decided that each person is allowed to buy 10 tickets only. This is one solution."

More than 400,000 tickets had been sold in total, the Qatar Tribune quoted Al Rumaihi as saying.

"We don't know what is happening because ticket sales have been quite encouraging," he said, adding even tournaments such as the World Cup sometimes struggled to fill stadiums, especially when the hosts are not involved.

FIFA boss Sepp Blatter last week said he "expected" the tournament could be moved to winter in order to avoid the prospect of playing in the sweltering Doha heat during June and July.

That revelation was met with much criticism by English Premier League bosses, who argued it would prove impractical and cause widespread disruption to numerous domestic leagues across the world.

UEFA president Michel Platini added fuel to the fire by suggesting the 2022 World Cup should be played across the whole of the Arabian Gulf in response to suggestions that Qatar is too small to host 32 teams.

But Bin Hammam told Sky News that he is "not interested" in the World Cup being played in the winter and ruled out exploring the option of Qatar co-hosting the tournament with its neighbours.

"It is not up to one, two or three members of FIFA to talk about changing the time without getting the real stakeholders' opinions," he said.

"I know that football in Europe has quite a history, it is quite a business involving a lot of financial, media, marketing - a lot of things," he said.

"It is unfair to these people that we talk about changing the calendar or the time without their full consultation and their full approval and their full agreement - I'm actually not happy to see that happening without the real stakeholders' part of this discussion.

"We are not interested (in moving the World Cup) - we are very happy and we are promising the world that we are going to organise an amazing World Cup in June and July."

In response to Platini's comment, Bin Hammam added: "I believe Qatar can stand alone and organise the competition by itself.

"I'm really not very impressed by these opinions to distribute the games over the Gulf or change the time from July to January - it's actually premature, you know, it's people's opinions and they're just discussing it on no basis or no ground."

The decisions to hand Qatar the 2022 World Cup and Russia the 2018 edition led to widespread criticism of FIFA following a bidding process that was wrought with allegations of corruption.

Bin Hammam, who may challenge Blatter at the forthcoming presidential elections, accepted that change is needed within football's world governing body.

"It's an organisation which is more than 104 years old," added the 51-year-old.

"We should modernise ourselves in such a way as to reflect the real stakeholders - member associations, leagues, clubs, players, coaches.

"A lot of things could be done. Maybe the actual administration can do that, they have to commit themselves to doing that."

His call is likely to fuel the controversy sparked by FIFA president Sepp Blatter saying he expected the tournament to be played in the winter - neither proposal was suggested during last year's World Cup bidding.

Platini has also labelled English football administration as 'strange' but denied that resentment at Britain's special status within FIFA led to England's humiliating 2018 World Cup defeat.

He told reporters at UEFA's headquarters: "I hope it will be a World Cup of the Gulf. It could be the World Cup of Qatar but played in the Gulf.

"I think we need political people (for this to happen), but I think so."

Asked why such drastic changes could be considered when they were never mentioned during the bidding campaign, Platini added: "Who will remember the words in 12 years? In 12 years everybody will be happy to have a very well-organised World Cup and not remember what's happened before.

"When I organised the World Cup in France we did (things) differently from what we proposed in the bid."

The UEFA president said England should work with FIFA instead of continuing to complain about its 2018 World Cup bid defeat. He also referred to the appointment of Football Association chairman-elect David Bernstein as being strange in that he was chosen by a small group rather than in an election.

Platini said: "In England you are different, in every way you are different. The way you elect a president (sic) of the FA is very strange.

"It's asking three people to recommend one, it's strange.

"It's your world and you decide what you want to do. For me I don't have to interfere but I can say it's strange.

"I think FIFA and UEFA needs big countries and England definitely is a big country.

"England needs to be with UEFA and UEFA needs England. We are in the same way for football. We have to be together.

"It is not because the FIFA members don't vote for (England) that they don't like (England)."

He also dismissed suggestions that England was unfairly dealt with in its 2018 bid.

"When the 2012 Olympics did not come to Paris, did everyone say that the IOC was corrupted?" he added.

"Blatter said that fair play was an English thing but you have not been so 'fair play'.

"It is not because people don't vote for England that it's the end of the world.

"The bid was very good, fantastic, but FIFA decided they had to go to the east instead of Spain or England. Belgium-Netherlands was a good bid too."

Platini said he would continue to defend the British FIFA vice-presidency and the four home nations being the only associations represented on the International FA Board, the game's law-making body, along with FIFA.

"I think it's tradition and it's good like that," he added.

Platini did not speak about playing the 2022 World Cup in January but raised the prospect of a major change to the football calendar.

He added: "When I came in 1998 as advisor to Sepp Blatter I worked on the international calendar and my proposal to Blatter was to play from February to December.

"FIFA was close to accepting that, then Italy and Spain said no because they wanted to play in winter. Finish.

"It is necessary to think what could be the future. I don't say to play in winter or not to play in winter but to think about what could be the calendar in the future."

German lawyer Gubter Hirsch revealed his decision to stand down in a letter to ethics commission president Claudio Sulser, according to German news agency DPA.

The 67-year-old said in the letter: "The events of the past few weeks have raised and strengthened the impression that responsible persons in FIFA have no real interest in playing an active role in resolving, punishing and avoiding violations against ethic regulations of FIFA."

Corruption within FIFA was exposed last year and led to the suspensions of executive committee members Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii from any football activity.

FIFA's investigation revealed more widespread concerns with four other officials - all former executive committee members - also banned.

Nigeria's Adamu became the first FIFA member ever to be suspended for bribery when he was banned for three years and fined 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,388) by the body's ethics committee, though he vowed to appeal.

Adamu was found guilty of asking for money in return for his World Cup vote after he asked undercover Sunday Times investigators to channel cash for a project through a family company.

Fellow executive committee member Temarii, of Tahiti, was suspended for a year and fined 5,000 Swiss francs ($5,194) for breaching rules on loyalty and confidentiality, something he also denied.

The other officials sanctioned were Ismael Bhamjee of Botswana, who was handed a four-year ban, Amadou Diakite of Mali and Ahongalu Fusimalohi of Tonga who were suspended for three years, and Tunisian official Slim Aloulou who was suspended for two years.

All four were also fined 10,000 Swiss francs.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said he "expects" the 2022 World Cup to be in January rather than June when the heat is close to intolerable.

But Wenger said: "It looks like an idea that has come out of nowhere because nobody was told that when the bid was voted for.

"That is a bit of a surprise and certainly it would mean that the whole world of football has to be reorganised.

"As you know we have a Christmas period which is quite busy here and England would be very happy to play the World Cup in January just after that.

"But it would demand a complete reorganisation of the whole world's fixtures and I cannot see that happening.

"Certainly it would create many problems, yes, between clubs and countries and countries and FIFA."

Blatter was speaking in Doha ahead of the opening match of the AFC Asian Cup.

He said: "I expect it will be held in the winter. We have time to look at this question, it is still 11 years away but we must decide the most adequate period for a successful World Cup which means January or the end of the year.

"When you play football you must protect the main people, the players."

Summer temperatures in Qatar can soar to over 50 degrees Celsius while those in the winter months are far more comfortable.

Blatter also said he believes "resentment" of Britain's special privileges on FIFA may have harmed England's failed 2018 World Cup bid.

Britain has its own FIFA vice-president and the home nations have individual status in the organisation. For historic reasons, the four home associations also represent half of the International FA Board (IFAB), the game's law-making body, with FIFA making up the half.

Blatter said: "There must be inside FIFA some reticence to England, perhaps these four associations. Maybe some resentment because of the privileges.

"If you have all these privileges you must handle these in a very intelligent way."

Blatter also suggested that the BBC Panorama investigation into FIFA members, screened three days before the vote, may also have had an effect.

He added: "Maybe the last-minute press and television about matters that have already been dealt with could have played a part."

Last month England gained just two of the 22 FIFA votes as Russia triumphed in the contest to host the tournament.

Blatter, who also gave the clearest indication yet that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be played during the winter, pointed to the fact that some FIFA members resent Britain having its own FIFA vice-president and the home nations having separate status.

For historic reasons, the four home associations also represent half of the International FA Board (IFAB), the game's law-making body, with FIFA making up the half.

FIFA members such as Argentina's Julio Grondona and Trinidad's Jack Warner have made little secret of their opposition to such special status.

Blatter, speaking to reporters in Doha, Qatar, said: "I cannot judge why England was so badly disappointed. They did a good job, a good presentation.

"There must be inside FIFA some reticence to England, perhaps these four associations. Maybe some resentment because of the privileges.

"Great Britain has a great importance inside FIFA since 1946. They have four national associations inside FIFA and one vice-presidency. They are also 50 percent of IFAB.

"There are no more privileges you can give to someone.

"If you have all these privileges you must handle these in a very intelligent way."

Blatter also suggested that the BBC Panorama investigation into FIFA members, screened three days before the vote, may also have had an effect.

He added: "Maybe the last-minute press and television about matters that have already been dealt with could have played a part."

Blatter was in Doha ahead of the opening match of the AFC Asian Cup, and he said he expected the 2022 World Cup to be in January instead of June - something that would have a huge impact on domestic football in Europe.

He said: "I expect it will be held in the winter. We have time to look at this question, it is still 11 years away but we must decide the most adequate period for a successful World Cup which means January or the end of the year.

"When you play football you must protect the main people, the players."

Summer temperatures in Qatar can soar to more than 50 degrees Celsius while those in the winter months are far more comfortable.

Blatter also responded to criticism of FIFA for a lack of transparency by saying the International Olympic Committee is dominated by royalty and handles its finances 'like a housewife'.

Blatter, himself an IOC member, said: "Our accounts are open to everyone. The IOC does it like a housewife. She receives some money and she spends some money.

"The IOC is a club. In the 115 members of the IOC, only 45 are directly linked to sport. If you need to know where in the world you still have princes, princesses and kings, then you go to the list of members of the IOC. You will find a lot of them."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger blasted the proposal to change to a winter World Cup in Qatar.

Wenger said: "It looks like an idea that has come out of nowhere because nobody was told that when the bid was voted for.

"That is a bit of a surprise and certainly it would mean that the whole world of football has to be reorganised.

"As you know we have a Christmas period which is quite busy here and England would be very happy to play the World Cup in January just after that," he added sarcastically.

"It would demand a complete reorganisation of the whole world's fixtures and I cannot see that happening.

"Certainly it would create many problems, yes, between clubs and countries and countries and FIFA."

Fulham manager Mark Hughes said the Premier League would still be playing matches in July if the change happened.

He added: "That's the only way round it from my interpretation. It's going to be a huge change that year and how it impacts we won't know until it actually happens."

Harry Redknapp's sarcastic response was that the idea was 'another clever move from Mr Blatter'.

The game's showpiece is traditionally held in the northern hemisphere's summer but the stifling heat in the Middle East at that time of year has led to calls for a rethink.

And Blatter, speaking at the launch of the AFC Asian Cup in Doha, told reporters: "I expect it will be held in the winter.

"We have time to look at this question, it is still 11 years away but we must decide the most adequate period for a successful World Cup which means January or the end of the year."

But European clubs AC Milan and Barcelona oppose the move as it disrupt their league seasons.

Mohamed bin Hammam, a Qatari national who heads the AFC and is also a FIFA executive committee member, said a winter tournament would ensure players are 'in better shape' and wouldn't be 'exhausted' after completing a gruelling season that can run up to 60 games.

Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup this month despite concerns over temperatures which routinely exceed 40 degrees Celsius.

Soon after it beat the United States, Australia, Japan and South Korea for the bidding rights, a growing list of footballers began calling for moving the tournament to January when it is much cooler in Qatar.

FIFA executive committee member Franz Beckenbauer was the first to suggest the idea, and he was followed by UEFA president Michel Platini.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said it is worthy studying while FIFPro, which represents professional footballers worldwide, said the event 'must be held in winter'.

But the big football clubs remain unconvinced, as they are reluctant to change the international calendar and likely would be concerned over a loss of revenue from breaking up the season.

"It would be very difficult today to see the top five European leagues change their calendar in order to accommodate the World Cup in January," AC Milan director Umberto Gandini said on the sidelines of the two-day Globe Soccer conference in Dubai.

"We have traditions. We have business in place. We have contracts in place," he said.

"It would be complicated. I'm not saying it's not possible but it would require a lot of negotiations, a lot of discussions and it would probably affect not only 2022 but 2021 as well."

Gandini and Barcelona President Sandro Rosell also downplayed concerns about the heat, noting that several previous World Cup tournaments were played in similar conditions to those of Qatar in the summer.

"I remember Spain in 1982 and the United States (in 1994). It was 40 degrees and no one complained," Rosell said.

"Due to the Spanish League, I have to defend playing in June and July. I don't like to break up the Spanish league because we continue to play in January."

Bin Hammam agreed that Qatar would have no problem organising the 2022 World Cup in July. But moving the tournament to the cooler winter months would be better for the players, he said.

"If the competition were held in June and July, it will perfectly organised by the host," Bin Hammam said.

"If the competition would be moved to January, it will be a sort of win-win situation for all the parties."

Earlier this month, Blatter and general secretary Jerome Valcke said moving the Qatar matches to winter was worth considering.

It could protect players from heat and show flexibility for future bid cities.

Valcke said that switching the schedule would make it possible for a wider range of countries to bid for the World Cup - which traditionally takes places in June and July - in the future.

Still, he said it is 'not so easy' to stage a winter World Cup since it would require changing the international calendar - including possibly the year before and after the 2022 tournament - and getting the support of domestic leagues and national federations.

Valcke said Qatar has not formally requested changing the timing of the tournament, and bid officials have not said anything publicly about whether they would support such a move.

Until now, Qatar has only promised FIFA that stadiums, training venues and areas for fans to party will be cooled with solar-powered air conditioning.

The tiny nation already has the highest gross domestic product growth rate in the Gulf region, driven by heavy investment in gas projects aimed at raising production and its capacity to export the commodity.

Much of those funds will now be dedicated to a plethora of projects imperative to holding the football showpiece, especially since the emirate has hit its output target of 77 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas per annum.

"The GDP growth drivers will change," said Philippe Dauba-Pantanacce, senior economist for Middle East and North Africa at Standard Chartered Bank.

"Whereas the recent years' strong real GDP growth in Qatar was mostly due to the build-up of the LNG output, the capital accumulation, due to the infrastructure build-up ... will probably play the role of GDP growth relay afterwards and until the World Cup," he told AFP.

Qatar's GDP is forecast to grow by 8.0 per cent this year and 5.0 per cent in 2011, Standard Chartered reported this month.

The smallest country by far to host the tournament, Qatar is building its infrastructure from scratch. It is opening new roads and demolishing entire neighbourhoods of the capital Doha to pave the way for modern developments.

Projects in the pipeline include a $US25 billion ($A25.04 billion) metro and rail network, some sections of which will be ready for the World Cup, as public transport is virtually non-existent at the moment.

A 10-billion-dollar international airport is also being built in Doha, the first phase of which will open in 2012.

Other major projects include a deep-water port at a cost of seven billion dollars and the $US4 billion ($A4.01 billion) Qatar-Bahrain causeway. Qatar also plans to spend $US20 billion ($A20.03 billion) to build and expand roads.

Projects planned for the World Cup include building nine new stadiums, and refurbishing three others at a cost of $US4 billion ($A4.01 billion). These are meant to be air-conditioned by solar power to combat the blazing desert heat.

Officials have also pledged to add 90,000 new hotel rooms before 2022.

"Hosting the World Cup will set tight deadlines, create extra spending, bring in new expertise and present additional motivation and incentives," the National Bank of Kuwait said in a report.

But many projects are not expected to start soon because the football tournament is still such a long time away, Dauba-Pantanacce pointed out.

"The event is twelve years from now and the majority of the projects will not start any time soon. So I do not think there will be any impact on the real GDP growth soon," he said.

"Many mega infrastructure projects were already on the cards anyway, so the difference will only play in the probable acceleration of these projects," he added.

Doha's stock market had rallied in the wake of naming Doha as the host, with real estate and construction firms leading the march. But stocks soon retreated, reportedly on concerns the market euphoria over earnings was overdone.

Global credit rating agency Standard & Poor's also said the World Cup was too far away to factor in any rating.

"We do not anticipate any change in the ratings at this time as 2022 is much further into the future than the horizon for our stable outlook," said credit analyst Luc Marchand, anticipating a significant impact in the future.

"We believe the World Cup will have a substantial impact on Qatar's already promising economic growth over the next few years as the country readies itself to host this major sporting event," he said in a statement.

S&P put Qatar's additional infrastructure expenditure for the World Cup at $US64 billion ($A64.1 billion), or 47 per cent of its 2010 GDP.

But the oil- and gas-rich state is not expected to struggle in meeting the cost of revamping the country to cope with the influx of football fans.

"Hydrocarbon receipts will remain the main source of funding," said Dauba-Pantanacce, pointing out that Qatar has already declared it does not intend to tap the debt market to finance World Cup investments.

"We don't need (bonds)," Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani said last week, adding that Qatar's development plan prior to winning the World Cup bid already covered nearly 80 percent of the needed infrastructure.

S&P said it had similar expectations.

"We do not expect a significant increase in the level of sovereign debt," Marchand said.

That figure is expected to reach $US103 billion ($A103.16 billion) by the end of 2010, according to Standard Chartered.

Meanwhile, the anticipated surge in construction is poised to trigger an influx of contractors and workers into Qatar, whose population is about 1.67 million.

"We should see a strengthening of the immigration flows in the small emirate. Regional companies have already started to position themselves," said Dauba-Pantanacce.

England's 2018 bid won just two of the 22 FIFA members votes and officials have criticised FIFA for not making clear their intention to prefer countries that had not hosted the tournament before.

Blatter said that after giving previous World Cups to Asia and Africa, it was "natural" for FIFA to look for other areas of the world to take the tournament to.

He told www.fifa.com: "When I became the FIFA president, the decision was made to go into Asia. And then I said we had to go to Africa, which is what we did. It's only natural, then, that we should keep on moving into new regions.

"We have made historic decisions in terms of sport and geopolitics. We've sent the World Cup to new territories.

"The 2018 World Cup will go to eastern Europe and the vast country that is Russia, and the 2022 event will go to Qatar, in the Arab world.

"The World Cup will discover new cultures in new regions, and that's something I'm delighted about."

Asked if he understood the disappointment of the losing candidates, Blatter added: "Yes, but maybe some people have forgotten that in football you have to learn to lose as well as to win.

"It was a competition. Some people won, some people lost. That's normal.

"The sporting media don't always appreciate the social or cultural importance of awarding the World Cup finals to a country.

"They just think about penalties, corners, refereeing and money. But, as I've already said, this decision wasn't about making money."

Blatter said this year's World Cup in South Africa had had a huge economic impact on the country.

"2010 has been a year of 'fulfilment', a historic year, one in which we've broken new ground," he said.

"We've had the World Cup in Africa, which is an extraordinary achievement in itself. It's had a phenomenal impact around the world, and the economic impact of the event can never be underestimated."

Blatter said South Africa's GDP and currency and incoming investment had all strengthened as a result of the World Cup, and that it had established itself internationally as a member of the G20 and as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

"Back in 2004, when the competition was awarded to South Africa, the country was a young republic that had been in existence for 10 years and was looking to find its place in the modern world," he said.

"Since then, both the rest of the world and South Africa itself have come to realise just how important a country it is."

Tiny gas-rich Qatar had already announced plans to spend at least 100 billion dollars even before being selected to host the world's biggest sporting event, the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) said in a report.

"Hosting the World Cup foremost adds a sense of urgency and an ultimate hard deadline for the completion of the projects critical to a successful hosting," the report said.

Projects in the pipeline include a 25 billion dollar metro and rail network, some sections of which will be ready for the World Cup, and a 10 billion dollar Doha International Airport, the first phase of which will open in 2012.

Other major projects include a deep water port at a cost of seven billion dollars and the four billion dollar Qatar-Bahrain causeway. Qatar also plans to spend 20 billion dollars to build and expand roads, the report said.

Projects planned for the World Cup include building 12 state-of-the-art stadiums at a cost of four billion dollars, NBK said.

Qatari officials have also pledged to add 90,000 new hotel rooms before 2022, although FIFA requires the addition of only 65,000 rooms, NBK said.

"Hosting the World Cup will set tight deadlines, create extra spending, bring in new expertise and present additional motivation and incentives," the report said.

NBK said the whole Gulf region looked set to gain from Qatar 2022's spillover effects, especially for the scores of contractors in the region.

Some regional companies are likely to join forces to meet extra demand created by Qatar's World Cup preparations, and intra-regional trade will be boosted, it said.

A good deal of the raw materials involved in the construction of many projects will be sourced from neighbouring countries, and large regional financial institutions would also benefit by sharing in funding, it said.

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy branded it "nonsense" and Blackpool boss Ian Holloway as "crazy", but Chelsea's Carlo Ancelotti and West Ham's Avram Grant are in favour of the change.

Qatar has temperatures reaching 50 degrees C in June/July but changing the date of the World Cup would have major implications for domestic competitions in Britain and the rest of Europe.

McCarthy said: "I think it's stupid and I think the more airtime he (Blatter) gets, he makes it worse for himself.

"Taking the World Cup around the globe is one thing, but taking it to a place that's 50 degrees in the summer, or whatever it is, is nonsense.

"Then saying 'we'll all shut our leagues and play in the winter' is even more nonsense.

"I await the next instalment next week and I can boot that into touch as well."

Holloway was also bitterly opposed, saying: "It's gone crazy - I think the world has gone completely on its head.

"We'll just change everything because their weather is really hot.

"What happens to our football and everybody else's that would be playing through it? Do we just stop for a while? Genius, absolutely magnificent.

"I'm going to go home and tell my turkeys 'It's not Christmas, we're moving it - it's all right, you've got some respite! I've had a word with FIFA and we're going to move Christmas, it's no problem'."

The move to hold the 2022 tournament in January was first suggested by Germany's FIFA member Franz Beckenbauer and is gathering momentum with Blatter and FIFA's general secretary Jerome Valcke both now behind the idea.

Blatter told a news conference in Abu Dhabi, where the Club World Cup is being staged: "I definitely support [the idea] to play in winter here.

"[It is important] to play when the climate is appropriate and I'm thinking about the footballers, not only the fans but the actors."

Grant, the Israeli manager of West Ham, said the implications were great but that it would be a good thing.

"I like the idea that the World Cup is in Qatar because it's good for the Middle East," said Grant. "I think that, on the football side, it's very good when you play a World Cup in places like Africa and other countries in good weather.

"For Qatar it looks a good idea but you have to reshuffle all the international calendar."

Ancelotti said his experience of the intense heat in USA '94 had persuaded him of the merits of the plan.

He added: "It will not be easy to manage the team if there is a break in January for the World Cup."

"If you ask me as a player, it's better to play in January, obviously.

"It's impossible to play 50 degrees. I had that experience in the USA in 1994 and it's impossible to play at 12-o'clock and 40 degrees on the pitch."

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp said it would be impossible to play a northern summer World Cup in Qatar:

He said: "If you've been to that place in the summer you can't go there. You can book the cheapest holiday in the world if you want to go to Dubai in June or July. It's a quarter of the price of the rest of the year. People don't go there, You can't stand the heat.

"How are you going to run around playing football, I don't know.

"If they play the World Cup there they are going to have to come up with something. It would be such a disadvantage for European teams. I don't know how they would possibly cope."

Everton manager David Moyes said moving the World Cup would have major implications.

He said: "They would need to shut down the whole of the English Premier League, wouldn't they?

"I am sure that would be the case if England qualified.

"And if England didn't qualify it makes you wonder if they would be able to shut it down - because there would be a lot of foreign players having to go out.

"It is a difficult one to work out what they would do."

In separate remarks on Thursday, FIFA president Sepp Blatter and general secretary Jerome Valcke said moving the Qatar matches to the northern hemisphere winter deserves study as a way to better protect players and show flexibility for future bid cities.

"FIFA's job is to have a World Cup that protects the players so we take note of the recommendations and go through the list of requirements," Blatter told journalists in Qatar in his first visit since the tiny Gulf nation was awarded the World Cup earlier this month. "We will look into this and make the right decision."

Valcke, attending the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi, said that switching the schedule would make it possible for a wider range of countries to bid for the World Cup - which traditionally takes places in June and July - in the future.

"Why not? It means you open the World Cup to countries where they can never play it in June and July because it's never the right period of time," Valcke told The Associated Press. "If you can do so, it would be a solution to open the organisation of the World Cup to a number of countries in this period which is winter in Europe but not winter in the rest of the world."

Still, he said it is "not so easy" to stage a northern winter World Cup since it would require changing the international calendar - including possibly the year before and after the 2022 tournament - and getting the support of domestic leagues and national federations.

"You can't just make a decision to move the tournament and that is it," he said. "It means you have to change completely when the leagues will play, mainly I would say in Europe. It's less difficult in the rest of the world."

Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup this month despite fears that temperatures exceeding 40 Celsius pose a serious health risk to players and fans. Soon after it beat out the United States, Australia, Japan and South Korea for the bidding rights, football executives started suggesting that it might be better move the 2022 tournament to January when it is much cooler in Qatar.

FIFA executive committee member Franz Beckenbauer was the first to voice the idea, and he was followed by UEFA president Michel Platini.

Valcke said Qatar has not formally requested changing the timing of the tournament and bid officials have not said anything publicly about whether they would support such a move. Until now, Qatar has only promised FIFA that stadiums, training venues and areas for fans to party will be cooled with solar-powered air conditioning.

Blatter said the decision to award Qatar the tournament - as well as sending it to Russia in 2018 - reflects the "modern World Cup" that moves into new areas.

Blatter, president of world football's governing body, said on Monday in an apparently lighthearted remark that gay fans 'should refrain from any sexual activities' during the tournament in Qatar, where homosexual behavior is illegal.

Juris Lavrikovs, communications director for the European branch of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, said the comments were 'very unfortunate and have left people deeply offended'.

"I think they should come out with a strong statement and not just wash it away and hide behind it with some wishy-washy comments," Lavrikovs told The Associated Press. "We are talking about a very basic human right that is being violated."

Blatter, speaking in South Africa at the launch of a post-2010 World Cup legacy project, was asked if he could foresee any cultural problems with the tournament being held in Qatar.

"I'd say they (gay fans) should refrain from any sexual activities," he said, smiling.

"This is not a joke, this is a matter of life and death to people," Lavrikovs said. "Qatar and more than 70 other countries in the world still criminalise individuals for homosexual relationships, and some countries even punish them by death sentence.

"It's disappointing to see that an organisation that is promoting the game, which in its statutes condemns discrimination of any kind, is coming out with comments like this."

Qatar beat Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States in the FIFA vote.

Since FIFA made what is widely regarded as a surprise decision, concerns have been raised that a country hosting such a major tournament has stringent laws that are seen by many to violate basic human rights.

"Sepp Blatter jokes about the risk to gay visitors in 2022, but Qatar's anti-gay policies are no laughing matter," British human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said.

Also condemning Blatter's remarks was John Amaechi, a former NBA player from Britain who revealed in 2007 that he was gay.

"The statements and the position adopted by Sepp Blatter and FIFA regarding LGBT (Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay and Transgender) fans who would pay the enormous ticket and travel prices to attend the World Cup in 2022 should have been wholly unacceptable a decade ago," Amaechi said on his website.

"Instead, with little more than an afterthought, FIFA has endorsed the marginalisation of LGBT people around the world."

Amaechi also demanded an apology from FIFA and urged other associations to distance themselves from Blatter's comments.

"Anything less than a full reversal of his position is unacceptable," he said.

Two of the favourites to stage the events, England and Australia, received only two votes and one vote respectively, and Beckenbauer, who was one of the 22 committee members eligible to vote, feels betrayed by FIFA for revealing such statistics.

He says that the ballot should have remained secret and that nobody, not even he, should ever have known how many votes had been cast for each individual candidate, and in each round.

"The Executive Committee was told that neither we nor the public would get to know the precise voting figures," he told Germany's Bild newspaper.

"After each round of voting, we were only told which candidate had been knocked out.

"And then a few hours later, I hear on the radio who had received how many votes.

"My faith in FIFA is limited."

Since it became public knowledge that England and Australia had not even made it through the first round of voting, and that other strong bids from Spain and Portugal and the USA had been overlooked, FIFA has spent more of its time criticising the losers rather than glorifying the winners, according to Beckenbauer.

He had already announced last month that he will be resigning from his post at FIFA in March and the vote has now given him even more reason to walk away.

"I am disappointed with the way FIFA have dealt with the results after the vote," he added.

"They have made a disgrace of the seven defeated nations, particularly England and Australia."

Blatter, who was speaking in Johannesburg at a post-2010 World Cup legacy project launch, has come in for criticism in recent weeks following a decision by the world governing body to take the competition to the Middle East for the first time in 12 years' time.

Apart from the searing temperatures expected during the finals time of June and July, there could also be other problems with hosting the competition in an Islamic country.

But Blatter is confident social and religious barriers can be overcome.

Current laws mean drinking alcohol in public is forbidden, while bars and nightclubs are almost non-existent.

Another issue could be public affection, and gay groups fear problems in a country where homosexuality is illegal.

When asked about such issues, Blatter initially joked by saying: "I would say they should refrain from any sexual activities."

He then continued on a more serious note, saying: "We are definitely living in a world of freedom and I'm sure when the World Cup will be in Qatar in 2022, there will be no problems.

"You see in the Middle East the opening of this culture, it's another culture because it's another religion, but in football we have no boundaries.

"We open everything to everybody and I think there shall not be any discrimination against any human beings be it on this side or that side, be it left, right or whatever."

He added: "I they want to watch a match somewhere in Qatar 2022, I'm sure they will be admitted to such matches."

After a UEFA executive committee meeting in Prague on Friday, Platini said it would be easier to play the World Cup in January, instead of June.

"It's true that if we talk about the World Cup in the Gulf in January, that would be easier than to play in June," Platini said.

"On that I agree, and why not? It's possible."

Qatar was picked to host the 2022 World Cup last week, despite fears the intense heat poses a serious health risk if the tournament is played in summer.

But Platini defended the choice of Qatar, saying players already had to face extreme heat at the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

"The temperature in Dallas was 45 degrees, if I'm not mistaken, in 1994 and nobody criticised the US at the time," he said.

Such a change would conflict with the schedules of the Europe's major domestic leagues plus the UEFA Champions League, and Platini said that would be among a number of issues needing to be addressed.

"How much rest time will we give to the players after the World Cup?" he asked.

"If we play in January, well, will it be a February off and then we start again in March?"

Platini said FIFA still had 12 years to solve the issue.

"We will discuss this heavily in the months and years to come."

Platini's remarks came a day after Asian Football Confederation general secretary Peter Velappan said cooling down stadiums and training grounds with air conditioners was "not a solution", and warned that some European teams may boycott the World Cup due to the heat.

Qatar's summer temperature average in the low 40 degrees Celsius.

Also, FIFA executive committee member Franz Beckenbauer said this month making a one-time change to the European league fixtures to allow the World Cup to be played in winter in Qatar was a cheaper solution than air conditioning all stadiums.

At the same time, Platini was positive about Thursday's proposal by FIFA president Sepp Blatter that Qatar's neighbouring countries could host games in 2022.

"Maybe, it would be a World Cup for the entire Gulf," Platini said.

In an interview with French sports newspaper L'Equipe, Blatter said Australia's failed 2022 World Cup bid proposed some games could be held in New Zealand, and that neighbouring countries of winning bid Qatar could host games in the same fashion.

"Australia, in its candidacy bid, proposed to give several matches to New Zealand," Blatter told L'Equipe.

"I think it could be the same in Qatar and that some matches could take place in nearby countries."

Blatter didn't state which countries.

FFA wouldn't comment on Blatter's statements or questions about whether the FIFA president had even read its bid book.

England, overlooked for the 2018 World Cup with FIFA preferring Russia, has been called a bad losers by Blatter and accused of showing "western arrogance".

FFA did confirm New Zealand was briefly considered in discussions two years ago but quickly ruled out without any further research into a joint bid.

The trans-Tasman neighbour was then never mentioned in Australia's proposal to host the 2022 showpiece.

"Australia's bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup at no stage included holding games in New Zealand," FFA head of media relations Rod Allen said in a statement.

"The bid proposal included in the bid book submitted to FIFA clearly centred on holding the event in 12 stadiums in ten host cities - all of them in Australia.

"There was a brief discussion about New Zealand when the bid was first conceived two years ago but that option was quickly dismissed."

After receiving a glowing technical report from FIFA, Australia only received one vote in Zurich and was knocked out in the first round.

Qatar was heavily criticised by FIFA for its heat and small size, yet still won the right to host the event ahead of Australia, Japan, United States, and South Korea.

Blatter vehemently denied allegations of corruption within FIFA and defended the decision as a move to expand the game and that the next regions FIFA must look to are the world's two most populous nations, China and India.

"With Qatar, we are opening football to a new world and a new culture," Blatter said in L'Equipe.

"The Arab world, which has tried several times - with Morocco or Egypt for example - to host the World Cup, could legitimately lay claim to hosting this."

Blatter said finance was not a primary motivation for awarding the tournament to Qatar.

"If we had wanted to make money, we would have gone to the United States," Blatter said.

"You must not forget that they (Qatar) have been making efforts for a while and have already hosted FIFA competitions like the under-20 World Cup."

Lowy said he refuted media claims that experienced advisers Peter Hargitay and Fedor Radmann had failed to read the mood of FIFA’s executive committee that never gave Australia a chance.

It crashed out of the race for 2022 at the first round with only one vote, with Lowy claiming it was undone by blatant broken promises and a tactical manoeuvre designed to get rid of Australia as early as possible.

”There have been some suggestions that our advisers should take the blame for our loss,” Lowy said.

”This is not right. I led the bid and directed the bid and I take full responsibility.”

Lowy said that when the decision was made to go for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, the FFA did not know too many people in high places.

”We asked FIFA to recommend some advisers and we were told that Hargitay and Radmann would be a good combination,” he said.

”There has been a lot of talk about them but I know they’ve done a good job, not as good a job as they could have done of course but I don’t blame them for it.

”There was also controversy about how much we paid them.

”Hargitay got $A953,000 for the two years and Radmann $2.687million for the two years.”

Hargitay has told The World Game in a television interview aired on Monday night that the main reason Australia had lost its 2022 bid because its campaign was “too clean”.

”Can you be too clean, is there such a thing?,” Lowy retorted when the point was rasied.

”We are what we are, we are Australians and we play it straight. We have a record: we are not perfect but clean.

”I made it abundantly clear from day one that we would do nothing improper in its fullest sense.

”I wanted to get credit for Australia and I did not want to get caught in some kind of shonky business and I can assure you now that we did not do anything improper in this whole period.

”Did this cost us the bid? Maybe, I don’t know. But we wanted to play it straight. And we did.”

Lowy conceded that he may have underestimated the magnitude of the task of bringing the world's biggest sporting event to Australia.

"I was wondering from time to time whether we should have a bigger team," he said.

"I always doubt myself and when you look at the other bids, they had a lot more people.

"But, let me tell you, you could have stood on your head, all of us here, we wouldn't have won this time, the way the game was stacked up against us."

Effenberg, famed for his outspoken views during two stints at Bayern Munich, told Sky television that the World Cup should 'always be awarded to countries with a footballing tradition, who live for football and love (the sport)'.

"Qatar has nothing to do with football," he added. "It's an absolutely terrible decision. The conditions are catastrophic. I can't explain it."

The executive committee of world football's governing body FIFA awarded the 2022 World Cup to Qatar at a summit in Zurich, Switzerland last week.

Effenberg, who played for Bayern between 1990 and 1992 and then between 1998 and 2002, retired from football in 2004 and has since been working as a TV pundit.

"Before we went in to the voting, we had six votes that we were assured of,” Hargitay, employed by the Australian bid team to gain access to FIFA powerbrokers and strategise for votes, said in an extensive one-on-one interview with The World Game's Les Murray.

“We needed at least five to survive the first round. We always knew that the first round was going to be the crucial round.

"Of the six votes, we had one left and that one vote was claimed by two people, so you tell me what is honesty.”

Hargitay added that Australia's Australia's biggest mistake was "playing it clean" during the failed bid.

"I'm just telling you that Frank Lowy's motto from the outset was: 'Guys, we're going to fight, we're going to do our best, we're going to see everybody once, twice, three times.

"We're going to fly around the world, we'll do everything we possibly can, we're going to do the best possible bid, but there will be no inducement.

"There will be nothing paid to anybody'.

“The most fundamental mistake Australia made, and there can be no other way, is that we played it clean,” he declared.

“You go figure it out. What do you think? What do you think motivates people, 14 of them, to vote for a country the population of Zurich, to vote for a country that is the size of Fiji, to vote for a country where the infrastructure to play host to millions of fans still has to be created."

"You go figure, how can 14 men make that decision?"

"I did give advice, I believe my advice was right," he said.

"I believe we did not lose because we did the wrong thing.

"We made mistakes, but we didn't make such a big mistake that would warrant this kind of result."

:: Don't miss Peter Hargitay on The World Game, Monday, 9.30pm, SBS TWO and streamed LIVE online.

In the tell-all interview, Hargitay says Australia was lied to by members of the FIFA Executive Committee and claims Australia was promised six votes by the FIFA Executive Committee, yet walked away with just one.

“Before we went into the voting, we had six votes that we were assured of," says Hargitay.

“We needed at least five to survive the first round. We always knew that the first round was going to be the crucial round.

"Of the six votes, we had one left and that one vote was claimed by two people, so you tell me what is honesty.”

Join Les, Craig Foster and Francis Awaritefe for a comprehensive review of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting announcements, including a breakdown and analysis of the votes and the state of the game in Australia moving forward from the decision.

The show will also feature:

Horne believes the FA must learn from the embarrassment which saw England poll just two votes in Zurich when Russia won the race to stage the 2018 World Cup.

And, as sports minister Hugh Robertson revealed that England was led to believe it had eight votes on board in the first round in Zurich, Horne says he will be talking his concerns to FIFA.

Horne said: "I think the process could have sensible reform. Any election process or procurement process should be open to review and I would like to talk to other people around the game about how we might review that process.

"For example a cap on expenditure in the campaign, so for nine bidders to go all the way to Zurich isn't necessary.

"There could be pre-elimination rounds. I think there are other ways to look at the process, not just bidding one year at a time.

"I am personally, hugely disappointed. I think there is a need for process reform, certainly a review of process so I will be talking to FIFA about it, yes."

Horne, who was speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek programme, believes any reform would stop short of a breakaway from FIFA.

"I don't think it's practical," he said.

"What I need to do is to build the relationships with the general secretaries and my incoming chairman, when selected, needs to build the relationships with the presidents and we continue to talk to the leading football nations but in practice a breakaway just doesn't feel workable. I think it's too reactionary."

Robertson revealed that Prime Minister David Cameron believed England had as many as eight votes in the bag in the first round in Zurich.

"Eight people had indicated in some way, shape or form that they were disposed to vote for us," said Robertson.

"The most astonishing thing is that in England we had the very best technical evaluation, by common consent we did the best presentation and we got the fewest votes. We need to understand why."

The England bid, however, came under fire from Mike Lee, the Englishman who helped bring the Olympics to London and who helped mastermind Qatar's winning bid for the World Cup in 2022.

Lee believes the England bid was damaged by the scandal which saw former FA chairman Lord Triesman resign.

Lee said: "International legacy is very important and Russia and Qatar both presented something very strong in that.

"But if I'm being absolutely brutal about it and I look at international campaigns from across the world I think this England bid campaign was not Premier League, it was relegation and League One.

"I'm not denigrating the work that was done - one of the people who comes out with his head held high is David Dein. Dein came into an incredibly difficult situation. It was clear to everybody that Lord Triesman was not the right choice.

"He was not popular among his fellow colleagues here in English football. He was terribly unpopular in international football and for nearly 60 percent of the campaign we were hampered.

"But David Dein, Sir Keith Mills, Seb Coe and David Beckham deserve plaudits, as well as very many hard working members of the bid team, but if you don't have the right leadership and you don't have the right strategy and you don't have a unique message you're not going to win."

Meanwhile, Marios Lefkaritis, one of the FIFA executive committee members who is accused of breaking his promise to support England, has refused to reveal how he voted.

Lefkaritis, who admitted he spoke to Prime Minister David Cameron and David Beckham, disclosed he made up his mind on who he would vote for before the last hectic round of lobbying in Zurich.

But when asked if he voted for England he replied: "Maybe I voted, maybe I didn't. I'm not denying anything. I'm not accepting anything."

Lefkaritis insisted that his conscience was clear, even though sources in the England bid camp have accused him of reneging on a promise.

"Well, the member from that England bid should come and tell me," said Lefkaritis.

"Maybe he is dreaming something. Maybe he thought I said, maybe, I don't know what people can think when they are working very hard. I know the England bid people and I know that some of them are extremely good friends of mine and I didn't get that impression.

"If something is a private conversation then it is a private conversation. My name is very clear so I don't want to clear my name."

Lefkaritis denied he had any discussions with FIFA president Sepp Blatter about the England bid but admitted: "I know it was a good presentation. The English bid was a very good bid. All the European bids were very good. This was not something unusual.

"It was a normal bidding process but unfortunately only one has to be a winner. What can you do?"

Northern Irishman Boyce, who replaces Geoff Thompson on the FIFA executive committee in 2011, agreed with the accusation the English bid team was given false hope before losing out to Russia to stage the event in eight years' time.

Boyce told Sky Sports News: "It did appear that England had the best bid.

"But it appears to me that FIFA wish to take the event to countries that haven't had it before. If this is their criteria then that should be made clear very early on.

"Russia were always favourites but the criteria needs to be set. I also don't think they should ever have two World Cup bids on the same date again."

Shortly after Russia was handed the 2018 tournament, it was revealed that Qatar would stage the event in 2022.

Asked if having two host announcements on the same day could lead to vote trading, Boyce replied: "Of course, I don't think there is any doubt, human nature being what it is, that a lot of that probably went on.

"As long as they voted for the country they felt was the best country to host the World Cup then I have no problem with that.

"What I do have a problem with is when people say they are going to vote for a country and don't do that.

"People should be up front and honest and if they are going to vote for a country that's up to them but they shouldn't tell people they will go for them and then not do so."

Despite reservations over the voting process, Boyce insisted he would not be reconsidering his decision to join FIFA.

He said: "I have been in football a long time and it would be a big honour, not necessarily for me but for the Irish FA. And what I can say is that I will work diligently for all the British football associations and if I feel something needs to be said I will say it."

The denial followed a Wall Street Journal report on Friday that cited an unnamed former member of the Qatar bid team as saying that at least one adviser had recommended that the Qatar Football Association make a US$78.4 million ($79.33 million) payment to help the Argentine association out of a financial crisis.

"There has to be an end to playing with my good name. Why on earth would the association have a debt of that size?" Grondona said in remarks carried on the Argentine newswire Telam.

"I am not going to give any credence to whatever people may say," said Grondona.

"The fact is the AFA has a solid contract with the Argentine government and it is all going quite well."

Grondona spoke from Zurich where the 22-member executive committee of FIFA, the ruling body of the international federation of football associations, awarded Russia and Qatar the right to host the World Cup tournaments in 2018 and 2022 respectively.

Australia's bid received just one vote from FIFA's 22-man executive committee, with many believing Beckenbauer was the sole supporter.

And although he refused to say who he voted for in Zurich, that theory was enhanced on Saturday with Beckenbauer admitting he was lost for words by Qatar getting the nod.

"What astonishes me is that Australia was eliminated in the first round of voting, just like England (for 2018), but I am sure Russia will be an excellent host in 2018," Beckenbauer told Bild newspaper.

He also suggested that the 2022 event be held in January to avoid the searing heat in the Gulf country, believing it would be wrong to stage the event in the traditional close-season period of June/July.

"We need to consider this solution of January and February when in Qatar the temperatures are around a pleasant 25 degrees," he said.

"Why would that not be acceptable? The schedules for the big European leagues are due to be changed in 2012 and that would mean the impact would be less.

"Also it would be a viable alternative to the huge expenses involved in setting up air-conditioning for the stadiums and the fan zones."

Beckenbauer has already said that he will stand down from the 22-strong FIFA executive next year.

From London to Tokyo, from Washington to Madrid, newspapers were singing from the same hymn sheet with claims of corruption and the power of petrodollars over traditional footballing values.

The English media led the protest, claiming Thursday's vote in Zurich in which England's 2018 bid mustered only two votes out of 22 - was rigged.

"Fixed!" screamed an outraged Sun in its headline.

"Russia, a mafia state rotten to the core with corruption; Qatar a medieval kingdom with no freedom of speech; Both are swimming in oil money," the tabloid Daily Mirror splashed across its front page.

"How on earth did they persuade the dodgy fat cats at FIFA to give them the World Cup? SOLD."

In The Times, an editorial claimed: "The system of World Cup elections is abysmally corrupt. It is too small, making it easily manipulated, and it is too secret, protecting it from scrutiny."

There was a similar reaction in Spain, which lost out to Russia in its joint bid with Portugal.

The centre-right El Mundo ran the headline: "The power of gas and oil."

"Russia and Qatar, with projects that were technically very weak but with huge fortunes, win 2018 and 2022 respectively," it said.

The Netherlands, joint bidders with Belgium, was equally scathing.

Dutch daily AD wrote: "With Russia and Qatar, FIFA has chosen its guarantees in gold and oil," suggesting that FIFA's Zurich headquarters would be "swimming in banknotes".

"The Netherlands and Belgium were under the impression that FIFA would be sensitive to the ecological nature of their bid," the paper said in an editorial.

"With Qatar, FIFA has chosen an attack on the environment, for a World Cup in air-conditioned stadiums consuming enormous amounts of energy."

Left-leaning daily Volkskrant suggested FIFA had opted for the "the least democratic of the nine candidates".

"Welcome to Russia: corrupt and with no future" was the inside headline in another publication, NRC next.

"In eight years the football World Cup will be held in an authoritarian country where nothing changes."

Japan lost out in its bid for 2022, and business daily Nikkei reckoned the bid had also been scuppered by money.

"Qatar, which has never qualified for the World Cup finals, had a weapon in its abundant financial resources based on oil money," it said.

The Asahi Shimbun newspaper said FIFA must have found Japan's "next-generation World Cup", complete with virtual stadia, lacking.

"There were (FIFA) executives who thought real stadia are more important," it said.

A similar sentiment of shock and dismay was to be found in the US media after the United States' 2022 bid bit the dust.

"Qatar? Really?," wrote The Seattle Times.

"FIFA, world's soccer's governing body, thumbed its nose at the United States' bid on Thursday and awarded the 2022 World Cup to soccer-poor, oil-rich Qatar... All this announcement does is fuel the already-existing suspicions of collusion that have haunted the entire bid process."

The Wall Street Journal said FIFA's secret vote "came amid allegations of kickbacks, bribes and collusion," adding: "Safe to say that ambitions to popularize the 'beautiful game' in the US aren't helped by the spectacle."

Time Magazine said the results reflected "geopolitical trends".

"Both Russia and Qatar are ruled by strong, uncompromising governments - one steered by post-Soviet apparatchiks with the tacit backing of a tycoon oligarchy, and the other the hereditary bequest of a family that can trace itself back to pre-Islamic times," Time said.

Even in Russia the mood was not all champagne and roses as local media questioned whether the country could afford to host the marquee event.

While Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin put the cost at around $US10 billion ($A10.27 billion), some commentators warned the eventual bill could be nearer five times that amount.

"The example of the Sochi Olympics proves that whatever numbers the government gives, they should not be considered final," Kommersant newspaper wrote.

"One could accept any expenses if their structure was transparent and the project's financing controllable," wrote Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily.

Former Socceroos striker John Aloisi, whose famous spot-kick in the play-off against Uruguay ensured Australia a spot in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, admitted he was stunned by Qatar's success in the bidding process.

Multi-lingual Aloisi was heavily involved in the Australian bid as a bid ambassador, and also featured in videos promoting the nation's merits to host the World Cup.

While Australia enjoys winter when the tournament would have been held, temperatures in Qatar in June and July soar into the mid-40s daily, and only drop to the high 20s or low 30s at night.

"The conditions in Qatar - they've got the air-conditioned stadiums - but I don't know what the spectators are going to do during the day in 45 degree heat," said Melbourne Heart's Aloisi.

"They won't be able to set foot outside, they'll have to stay indoors. It's a tough one but I'm sure they'll make it work.

Aloisi admitted he was devastated Australia missed out, effectively ending any realistic chance of hosting the tournament until at least 2034 - and most likely longer.

"Bitterly disappointed is an understatement," Aloisi said.

"We've got the country, we've got the infrastructure, we've got the people, we've hosted a great Olympics.

"I thought everything was positive for us and we had a massive chance of getting it.

"Now we have to look at winning a World Cup before we host one, because we won't be hosting one for a while."

Football Federation Australia's coaching director Han Berger said the game has been dealt a blow by the lost bid, but he's confident about the future of Australian football led by a new generation of highly-skilled young players.

"The development of the game will continue maybe with smaller steps forward but the philosophy will not change," said Berger.

"Australia and the FFA really want to become a top nation in football and there is no other way than starting with training programs from a young age and developing the special players."

Dutchman Berger's job is to ensure that happens.

FFA has been rolling out elite training programs across the country to identify Australia's best soccer talents early and set them on a path toward the Socceroos.

Berger said the first step was the Skilleroos program for 10-14 year olds, which recently kicked off in Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Newcastle and will start in Sydney in February.

"This is just the beginning," said Berger, who was previously charged with developing youth teams in the Netherlands.

"We will grow this program all across Australia (so) the kids can get the proper foundation, the proper skills," he said.

From the Skilleroos, the FFA mapped out a path to see the best players through the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), the Young Socceroos, the Olyroos and then into the Socceroos.

Berger said Australia lacks technical training because of a focus on 'winning at all costs' from the start.

"Because of this mentality, at a young age there is a tendency to identify and select strong, fast and big kids," he said.

"Maybe in the traditional Australian culture the physical component is the decisive one but not in football.

"In football the most technically proficient players decide the games."

If FFA's programs work as planned, come 2022, the Socceroos may not have a home ground advantage, but they could just carry off the World Cup trophy.

Marios Lefkaritis, the FIFA executive member from Cyprus, said the feedback from other members was that the media investigations had been a factor - something the England bid leaders deny.

Lefkaritis told Bloomberg: "In the beginning I thought not, but after the experience I got from other members, then I have to say definitely yes.

"If they [the bid] think they did not, then they are stupid and naive."

England bid chief executive Andy Anson said as many as five or six of the FIFA members had promised their vote in meetings with Prince William, David Cameron, David Beckham and bid officials only to break those guarantees.

Anson said: "They are saying to us that our media killed us but I don't believe that for one minute, but that's what we are being told.

"My only issue with the Sunday Times and more the BBC Panorama was the timing of it - it was almost impossible to bounce back.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush: individual members promised to vote for us and didn't, clearly.

"That's difficult to stomach when they have given you assurances.

"We thought on the upside we would get seven or eight but not that five or six would leave us, that's quite a big percentage of the ones we had been promised."

Among those thought to have given their assurances include FIFA vice-president Jack Warner of Trinidad, who voted as part of a three-man bloc with the United States and Guatemala members.

Anson said: "I think they probably did vote as a bloc, but not for us sadly."

Another broken promise came from Turkey's Senes Erzik, a long-time friend of FIFA member Geoff Thompson. Before the vote the England bid received information from the Foreign Office that Turkish diplomatic sources had said Erzik would not support England.

Thompson asked him for assurances just an hour before the vote, and received them. Afterwards, Erzik said merely: "It was nothing personal, just business."

Those who emerged with more credit were African president Issa Hayatou who apparently did honour his pledge, Japan's Junji Ogura, who explained before the vote he had agreed to vote instead for Netherlands/Belgium, and even FIFA president Sepp Blatter who made no secret of his support for the eventual winner Russia.