Fifa officials ‘offer to sell 2018 World Cup bid votes’

(BBC) Two Fifa officials have offered to sell their votes in the contest to host the 2018 World Cup, according to a Sunday Times report.

The newspaper has video footage in which Nigerian Amos Adamu, a Fifa executive committee member, appears to ask for £500,000.  This is completely against Fifa rules.
And Oceania Football Confederation president Reynald Temarii, wanted money for a sports academy for his vote, the newspaper alleged.

England are competing to host the tournament in eight years time, as well as Russia and joint bids from Spain and Portugal and Holland and Belgium.

A 24-strong committee will decide by secret ballot on 2 December who should host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The footage, filmed by undercover Sunday Times journalists, shows Adamu wanting money to be paid to him directly for endorsing a bid.

The reporters had posed as lobbyists for a United States bid. The US decided on Friday to withdraw from the running for the 2018 World Cup and instead concentrate on the 2022 competition.

In the video, Adamu was asked whether the money for a “private project” would have an effect on the way he voted, he replied: “Obviously, it will have an effect. Of course it will. Because certainly if you are to invest in that, that means you also want the vote.”
Fifa has so far not responded to the allegations.