April 26 – Frank Lowy (pictured right), the chairman of Football Federation Australia (FFA), has claimed that he is not concerned by Sepp Blatter’s claims that the Middle East deserves to host the World Cup, which have been perceived as being encouragement for Qatar’s bid for the 2022 tournament.
.jpg)
April 24 – England 2018 have announced British Airways as an official partner of their bid for the World Cup.
.jpg)
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
April 24 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter today backed to Qatar’s bid to bring the 2022 World Cup to the Arab world.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
April 23 – England will face former captain Bryan Robson (pictured) when they play a friendly in Thailand in a move that appears designed to win the vote of Worawi Makudi, the President of the the country’s football association and a member of the FIFA Executive Committee, for its bid to host the 2018 World Cup.
April 23 – Confusion surrounds claims that Germany had been forced to change their base for the World Cup in South Africa later this year because of security fears.
April 20 – Casey Wasserman, whose Wasserman Media Group (WMG) represents England stars Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen, has been added to the United States bid committee trying to win the right to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022, it was announced today.
.jpg)
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
April 19 – Milton Keynes will have an opportunity to showcase its bid to become a host city if England are awarded the 2018 World Cup later this year when its stadium hosts its first ever senior international match.
April 19 – Nigeria have been warned by FIFA that they could face serious sanctions, including missing this year’s World Cup in South Africa, if court action by a disgruntled official is not dropped.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
April 19 – Vladimir Putin (pictured left) has personally signed all the Governmental guarantees demanded by FIFA as part of Russia’s bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, it was revealed today.
.jpg)
April 16 – Japan have signed-up another three sponsors as its campaign to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup steps up a gear.
April 15 – Danny Jordaan (pictured), the chief executive of South Africa 2010, admitted that the number of fans currently planning to attend the World Cup stands at between 100,000 and 200,000 – less than half of the original forecast of 450,000.
.jpg)
By David Owen
April 15 - Guus Hiddink (pictured), the internationally renowned Dutch football manager, is to go to Korea at the end of this month as part of his efforts to help the Dutch/Belgian World Cup bid.
By David Owen in Istanbul
April 14 – Turkey may bid to stage the 2026 World Cup. Orhan Gorbon, manager of Turkey’s current bid for the 2016 European Football Championship, told insideworldfootball exclusively that a campaign for the 2026 tournament was part of a personal “10-year plan”.
April 14 – Global food supplier Seara, part of the Marfrig Group, has signed up as a sponsor of the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup, it was announced today.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
April 12 – Belgium and the Netherlands campaign to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup could be damaged if there is violence at the Dutch Cup Final between Ajax and Feyenoord later this month, the chairman of the joint bid fears.