FIFA begins visit to Australia

A FIFA delegation began a three-day visit to Australia today to inspect stadiums and other facilities for the country's 2022 World Cup bid.



The inspection team from football's world governing body includes six delegates led by Chilean Football Federation President Harold Mayne-Nicholls. It includes Danny Jordan, chief executive of the organising committee for the recently concluded World Cup in South Africa.



Australia, the third stop on tour of the nine countries which are bidding to host the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup tournaments, were cleared last week by FIFA of wrongdoing.



FIFA says it reviewed allegations that expensive gifts were provided to some FIFA Congress delegates in May 2008, eight months before official campaigning began, but decided there were no grounds to open a formal case.



Ten Australian host cities have been selected in six states and territories. New stadiums will be built in Perth, Canberra and Blacktown in western Sydney and nine others upgraded should the bid be successful.



At the end of the inspection tour, the delegation will submit a report to assist FIFA's 24 executive members select a host for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup tournaments, which will be announced by FIFA on December 2 in Zurich.



Australia are competing with bids from South Korea and Japan, which co-hosted the 2002 World Cup, Qatar, Japan and the United States for the 2022 World Cup.



The United States are also in the contest for 2018, which is expected to be awarded to one of four European bids: England, Russia, and the joint bids of Spain-Portugal and Netherlands-Belgium.