FIFA Audit & Compliance Committee Independent Chair Domenico Scala said that Russia and Qatar could be "stripped of their World Cup hosting rights if evidence emerges of bribery in the bidding process," according to Franklin & James of REUTERS. The FBI's investigation of bribery and corruption at FIFA "includes scrutiny" of how football's governing body "awarded World Cup hosting rights to Russia and Qatar." Scala said, "If evidence should emerge that the awards to Qatar and Russia only came about thanks to bought votes, then the awards could be invalidated. This evidence has not yet been brought forth." Russia and Qatar have "denied wrongdoing in the conduct of their bids" for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, which were not the subject of charges announced by U.S. prosecutors last week against FIFA officials. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said that he supported Qatar hosting the 2022 tournament but said Britain would "work with another country if FIFA re-opened the bidding process." Hammond: "We would offer our support to any country that has been chosen to host the World Cup" (REUTERS, 5/7).
