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December 12 – New Zealand have opened discussions with international officials about retaining the present system of World Cup qualification for the 2014 tournament that would see them trying to reach Brazil via the Asian route.
December 12 – Hull City’s future could depend on the KC Stadium being chosen to be one of the venues for the 2018 World Cup if England’s bid is successful, the club’s chairman Adam Pearson has claimed.
By Duncan Mackay
December 11 – Franz Beckenbauer (pictured) has again praised Australia’s bid to host the World Cup but warned, that with the 2018 tournament set to come back to Europe, then 2022 is a more realistic opportunity.
December 11 – England coach Fabio Capello (pictured) is paid more than any other manager at next summer’s World Cup, according to a report published today.
By Tom Degun
December 10 – England is perfectly placed to stage the 2018 World Cup, former West Ham United and Charlton Athletic manager Alan Curbishley (pictured) has claimed.
By Duncan Mackay
December 9 – Baroness Valerie Amos (pictured), Britain’s High Commissioner to Australia, has risked upsetting her hosts by publicly claiming that England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup is much stronger than any of its rivals, including Australia’s.
By Duncan Mackay
December 8 – Japan’s Government has promised to support the country’s bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup but will not provide any state funding they said today.
December 7 – Michael Bloomberg (pictured), the Mayor of New York City, has joined the Board of the USA Bid Committee for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup, taking his place alongside a high-powered group that also includes Arnold Schwarzenegger and Henry Kissinger.
By David Owen in Cape Town
December 8 – FIFA needs to move decisively to claim Asia as “football territory”, according to Frank Lowy (pictured), the Football Federation Australia (FFA) chairman.
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By Duncan Mackay in London
December 7 – Prime Minister Gordon Brown has held talks at Downing Street with Dr Mong-Joon Chung (pictured middle), a FIFA vice-president, to help promote England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup.
By Duncan Mackay
December 7 – The Premier League’s support of England’s campaign to host the 2018 World Cup was demonstrated at the weekend when clubs donated perimeter advertising at their fixtures to promote the bid, chief executive Andy Anson (pictured) has claimed.
December 7 - Football fans will be able to watch the 2010 World Cup in 3D, thanks to a deal struck between FIFA, the sport’s governing body, and electronics giant Sony.
By Duncan Mackay
December 7 – Ben Buckley, the chief executive of Football Federation Australia (FFA), has tried to reassure the Australian Football League (AFL) that they will not have to cancel their season if the country is awarded the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.
By David Owen in Cape Town
December 6 – A Korean World Cup could see matches taking place in both parts of the divided peninsula, Han Sung-Joo, the chairman of the South Korea 2022 World Cup Bidding Committee, has told insideworldfootball in an exclusive interview.
By Andrew Warshaw in Cape Town
December 6 - Some of the 10 candidates vying for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup will almost certainly be forced to withdraw before the vote is taken just over a year from now, a senior FIFA administrator has predicted.