By Duncan Mackay in Zurich
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
December 2 – Russia were awarded the 2018 World Cup as England were knocked out in the first round of voting here today.
By David Owen in Zurich
December 2 – Hosting the World Cup would help Russians in their quest to build a new country and overcome the difficulties they faced in the 20th century, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov told FIFA today, as Russia brought down the curtain on an intensive two days of bid presentations.
By Mihir Bose in Zurich
December 2 – Ricardo Teixeria the FIFA executive member from Brazil, whose vote could decide the hosts for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, faces a date in court back home.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
December 2 – England’s 2018 World Cup bid team rolled out their big guns to make a final plea to FIFA here today but it was a 27-year-old from a disadvantaged background who made the most poignant impression.
By Duncan Mackay in Zurich
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
December 2 -·Angel Maria Villar Llona, who has conducted a one-man campaign on behalf of Spain and Portugal’s joint bid to host the 2018 World Cup, today faced head-on allegations that they were involved in collusion.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
December 2 – Underdogs Holland and Belgium kicked off the 2018 World Cup presentations to FIFA today but lacked sufficient punch to suggest they might pull in extra support later in the day.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
December 1 – The race to stage the 2018 and 2022 World Cups reaches a nail-biting climax tomorrow with Spain/Portugal and England emerging as potential opponents for the final round of bidding for 2018 and the United States out in front for the latter tournament.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
December 1 – The nine bidders involved in tomorrow’s 2018 and 2022 World Cup ballots may never know how many votes they won and lost during the entire process.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
December 1 – It started optimistically with phrases like “a true melting pot of passion, dreams and hope” and being the most diverse nation on earth.
By David Owen in Zurich
December 1 – There is no doubt about the biggest ‘Big Idea’ to have emerged during this 2022 World Cup hosting competition.
By David Owen in Zurich
December 1 – After the glitz and razzmatazz of their money-no-object campaign, the Qatar bid team treated FIFA’s top brass to a serious-minded presentation that was comparatively low on frills in Zurich this afternoon.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
December 1 – South Korea used the prospect of better relations with the north of the peninsula to maximum effect when they made their final 2022 World Cup presentation to FIFA’s executive committee today.
By David Owen in Zurich
December 1 – Australia got today’s 2022 World Cup bid presentations off to an endearing start in FIFA’s home city of Zurich this afternoon, with supermodel Elle Macpherson (pictured) sharing top billing with a kleptomaniac animated kangaroo.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
December 1 – David Beckham is convinced the World Cup momentum is swinging back in England’s favour as the odds on who will stage the 2018 and 2022 tournaments continued to fluctuate today.
December 1 – Japan’s 2022 World Cup Bid Committee has pulled out its ace by announcing that Sir Howard Stringer, chairman, chief executive officer and president of Sony Corporation, will join its final presentation to the FIFA Executive Committee today.