Three of the biggest World Cup sponsors have urged Fifa to investigate claims over how Qatar won the bid to host the 2022 football tournament, raising pressure on the governing body’s president Sepp Blatter.
Sony, Adidas and Visa, which make up half of Fifa’s main sponsors, released statements over the weekend voicing concerns about Qatar 2022, which is at the centre of allegations about secret payments and trade deals to help the tiny Gulf state win the right to host the competition.
They were responding to a second wave of allegations, based on leaked documents, in British newspaper The Sunday Times about the influence of Mohammed bin Hammam, the Gulf state’s former Fifa vice-president, on its bid team.