By Duncan Mackay in Johannesburg
December 1 – Ronald de Boer, the former Dutch and Rangers star, claimed that Qatar has the ability to host the “best World Cup ever” after he was officially unveiled here today along with Argentina’s Gabriel Batistuta as an ambassador for their bid to host the 2022 World Cup.
By Duncan Mackay
December 1 – Hollywood star Nicole Kidman (pictured) has lent her voice to Australia’s bid for the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cups.
By Andrew Warshaw in Johannesburg
December 1 – England’s 2018 World Cup bid team today launched a passionate defence of their campaign here as the public relations war among bidding nations intensified.
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By Andrew Warshaw in Johannesburg
December 1 – Two of world football’s most respected statesmen have called for the immediate introduction of goal line technology as a result of the infamous Thierry Henry handball that is showing no sign of being taken off the game’s agenda.
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By Andrew Warshaw
January 1 - FIFA President Sepp Blatter (pictured) will be more likely to support sole nations bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups than joint bids, insideworldfootball has learned.
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By David Owen
December 1 – The Australian bid for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups has scored a major coup by securing backing from Emeritus Archbishop Desmond Tutu (pictured).
By Duncan Mackay in Johannesburg
December 1 – South African Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron (pictured) has been named as the guest presenter for the 2010 World Cup draw in Cape Town on Friday, and will be joined on stage by a host of sporting celebrities including David Beckham, Haile Gebrselassie and Makhaya Ntini.
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By Duncan Mackay in Johannesburg
November 30 – Paul Elliott, the former Chelsea and Celtic defender who is a member of England 2018’s Board, today met with FIFA Executive Committee member Amos Adamu (pictured) at Soccerex, the global football convention.
By Duncan Mackay in Johannesburg
November 30 – Australia will offer to host a “no worries” FIFA World Cup as it goes head to head with its nine rivals for the first time in its bid for the 2018 or 2022 tournaments, it has promised.
By Andrew Warshaw in Johannesburg
November 30 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter (pictured) today admitted for the first time that the World Cup playoff system had to be seriously re-examined as a result of Thierry Henry’s infamous handball that cost Ireland a place in the finals.
By Duncan Mackay in Johannesburg
November 30 – Sepp Blatter has praised the South African Football Association (SAFA) for its preparations for next year’s World Cup after meeting its new President, Kirsten Nematandani, here.
November 29 – Durban’s new 70,000-seater World Cup stadium opened today, but rain kept the crowd down to around 15,000.
By Duncan Mackay in Johannesburg
November 29 – England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup received another morale-boosting endorsement today when Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (pictured) said that England deserved to host the tournament for the first time in more than half-a-century.
November 29 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter (pictured) revealed today that he has telephoned France captain Thierry Henry to offer him support over his controversial handball in the World Cup play-off win over Ireland.
By David Owen
November 29 – Belgium and Holland can set an example for smaller countries by showing that they too can become candidates to host a World Cup, according to Michel D’Hooghe (pictured), the Bruges-based doctor who is chairman of FIFA’s Medical Committee.
