.jpg)
By Andrew Warshaw at Wembley
February 23 – David Dein’s (pictured) first role as international president of England’s 2018 World Cup bid will be a face-to-face meeting with Jack Warner, the veteran FIFA powerbroker who famously denounced the bid as too lightweight in October last year.
.jpg)
By Andrew Warshaw in Barcelona
February 18 – Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola today became the latest big name to be unveiled as ambassador for Qatar’s 2022 World Cup bid.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 18 – Former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein (pictured) has been appointed international President of England’s 2018 World Cup bid campaign team, it has been announced.
.jpg)
By Andrew Warshaw
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has once again gone on the attack to denounce critics of South Africa hosting the World Cup.
.jpg)
By Andrew Warshaw
February 9 – Indonesia’s flagging campaign to stage the 2022 World Cup was hanging by a thread today after it emerged that the Government was still stalling over contributing vital support.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 9 - Holland and Belgium’s joint bid to stage the 2018 World Cup was given fresh heavyweight impetus today when Ruud Gullit (pictured) was named as bid President.
February 5 – England 2018 today announced BT as an official communications partner in a deal worth £1 million.
By Duncan Mackay
February 3 – Former Zenit Saint Petersburg President Sergei Fursenko (pictured) was elected as the new president of the Russian Football Union (RFU) at a special conference today and immediately set his sights on ehlping the country win its bid to host the 2018 World Cup.
February 3 – Yingli Green Energy, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of solar panels, was unveiled as the first Chinese company to sponsor the FIFA World Cup today.
February 2 – South Africa will play France in a Test match on June 12 in Cape Town, Springbok officials confirmed on Tuesday, dispelling doubts that the country would have to abandon its rugby union season because it clashes with the World Cup.
By Duncan Mackay
February 1 – FIFA today issued a press release which seeks to reassure South Africa’s media that the purpose of accreditation terms is “not, and has never been, to restrict press freedom”.
By Duncan Mackay
February 1 – London Mayor Boris Johnson (pictured) is take over as the head of a high-powered group co-ordinating the capital’s support for England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup, it was announced today.
.jpg)
By Duncan Mackay
February 1 – It is too early to evaluate the strength of the candidates who want to host the 2018 World Cup, the head of Russia’s bid Alexey Sorokin (pictured) has claimed.
By Duncan Mackay
January 31 – Australia are still serious contenders to host the 2018 World Cup after FIFA President Sepp Blatter (pictured) claimed he had never said that only European bidders will be considered for the tournament with the other contenders left to battle for 2022, officials there claimed today.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 30 – Bora Milutinović, the only man to have coached five different teams at the World Cup, is the latest high-profile ambassador to join Qatar’s bid to stage the 2022 tournament.