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.
England’s bid is still thought to be running behind those of Russia and Spain/Portugal ahead of tomorrow’s vote of the Executive Committee’s 22 members in Switzerland, but Beckham believes the media allegations of corruption within football’s world body will not ultimately prove decisive.
An upbeat Beckham, the most high profile former player among the England campaign team, told a packed eve-of-vote press conference that England were making up ground as the hoopla intensified.
“I think we can trust every one of the members,” he said.
“At the end of the day they are football people.
“They are going to want a World Cup in the best country that they think could host the biggest sporting event in the world.
“Without a doubt we can trust them.”
Beckham, along with Prince William and Prime Minister David Cameron, has been lobbying hard this week and will see even more FIFA Executive Committee members this evening.
“I have met a few members,” he said.
“I would rather keep who I have actually met private.
“Everything has been positive so far.
“We have obviously listened to the feedback and the ideas we feel we need to be pushing in the next few days and we are working on it.”
Beckham, whose last-ditch goal against Greece propelled England into Euro 2004, has compared the task of winning the vote to some of his toughest challenges as a player.
“I have had a few throughout my career,” he said.
“It is another one of those things where, when you represent your country, you give everything you have.
“I have obviously done that on the field a few times and now I am trying to do it off the field.”
Although some have questioned the presence of such a heavyweight team and likened it to Barack Obama’s ultimately flawed decision to jet into Copenhagen for the 2016 Olympic vote when Chicago were badly beaten, Beckham believes the bigger the guns, the more influence England can bring to bear.
“To have that weight behind the bid is a huge thing for us.
“I saw that in Singapore [for the 2012 Olympic decision] when Tony Blair was there for the whole bid process.
“You feel how important it is to have them there.”
Meanwhile, the odds against England winning continued to tumble today after it became clear that FIFA’s Executive Committee members were not taking too much stock of the recent Panorama programme that heaped more accusations of corruption on the world governing body.
Russia and Spain/Portugal remained out in front but Beckham is certain the ground can be made up.
“We have obviously been listening to the feedback and what they feel we need to push.
“The momentum is out there now – it’s turning.
“We are making people aware that our media would get behind the World Cup and the excitement it generates.
“That’s what I have told the members.”
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