Rumours of Russia losing World Cup 2018 are ridiculous, say organisers

The World Cup 2018 organising committee dismissed rumours on Thursday (11 June) that Russia was losing the fight to host the event.

The FBI are investigating bribery and corruption at Fifa, including scrutiny of how football's governing body awarded World Cup hosting rights to Russia, which won the bidding for 2018, and Qatar, which is due to host the finals in 2022.

Despite investigations into the bidding process involving Russia and Qatar, managing director of 2018 Fifa World Cup Russia organising committee Alexei Sorokin said he saw no threat to Moscow's successful bid.

"With the recent rumour, it is completely ridiculous; I do not even think that it is worth commenting on. I think we just need to ponder over in whose interest it is to drive a wedge between us and our partners in Fifa," he said at the World Football Forum in Moscow.

He also said that Swiss investigators did not contact the committee, referring to former Fifa's independent investigator Michael Garcia, who submitted a report of his 18-month investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, which are now the subject of a probe by Swiss authorities.

"We have not been contacted by Swiss investigators, nor by any other investigators from other countries. About investigation from the US side we know only from the media. There have been no indications. None. No indication whatsoever, which is at least close to being official. All we know is from articles," he said.

Sorokin also said that an international boycott, related to Russia's role in the Ukrainian crisis, would be disappointing.

"We do hear various urges and calls for boycott, it is very disappointing because I said in some of discussions that I think, that the victims, the direct victims of these urges are the athletes who have been preparing for this event for four years and also the fans who are looking forward to coming to Russia, to enjoy the World Cup in Russia, to have a great experience," he said.

The FBI's investigation of bribery and corruption at Fifa includes scrutiny of how soccer's governing body awarded World Cup staging rights to Qatar and Russia. Both hosts have denied wrongdoing in the conduct of their bids, which were not the subject of charges announced by US prosecutors in late May against Fifa officials that stunned world football.