The English Football Association FA released a statement yesterday detailing how they have helped Fifa regarding the unpublished report written by ethics investigator Michael Garcia.
It comes after the Sunday Times sent Parliament a dossier — compiled by England’s 2018 bidding team — accusing Russia, Qatar and England of breaking Fifa’s rules during the bidding process of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
In the dossier, the hosts of the two tournaments — Russia and Qatar — are said to have engaged in vote-trading and vote-buying while England failed miserably in an attempt to engineer a vote-swap between themselves for their failed 2018 and South Korea’s 2022 bid.
Joao Pedro’s emotional goals against Fluminense captured the magic of an international club competition. But even as fans bring colour and passion, the Club World Cup’s deeper issues loom large, writes JAMES NALTON



