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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Who will host the 2018 World Cup? Bookies say RUSSIA !

BBC's Panorama programme was broadcast on Monday night and accused Issa Hayatou, Ricardo Terra Teixeira and Nicolas Leoz of taking bribes, while on FIFA committee business.

The three men took the money from a sport marketing firm awarded lucrative World Cup rights between  1989 to 1999, the programme alleges. The alleged bribes are included in a confidential document listing 175 payments totalling about $100m (£64m).

Although the allegations have nothing to do with World Cup votes for this hosting round, all three men are part of the 24-member vote to decide the next two hosts for FIFA's World Cup and it is unlikely that it will have helped England's chances.

Russia are the odds-on favourites across the bookmakers - with Paddy Power into 8/11 (1.73) while the joint Spain-Portugal bid was also cut to 9/4 (3.25).

England are now 3rd favourites at 3/1 (4.0) having been favourites earlier on in the process. Belgium-Holland is the other bid to be considered by FIFA's executive committee on Thursday - but it is rated a 40/1 outsider at Paddy Power.

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