By Duncan Mackay
December 2 – David Beckham is set to stay in South Africa to help England’s 2018 World Cup bid despite the death of his 83-year-old grandfather, which has left him devastated.
By Andrew Warshaw in Cape Town
December 2 - Talk about a double whammy. No sooner did Thierry Henry’s France become the fall guys in a revamped seeding system for next summer’s World Cup than Henry’s own damaged reputation took another serious battering.
By Andrew Warshaw in Cape Town
December 2 - Early yesterday evening in Johannesburg, Ruud Gullit, one of Holland’s most famous footballing ambassadors, shook his head in disbelief at rumours that Holland would not be seeded at next year’s World Cup finals.
By Duncan Mackay
December 2 – Diego Maradona (pictured), one of the greatest players in history and now Argentina’s coach, has been told by FIFA that he is not welcome in Cape Town at the draw for next year’s World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw in Johannesburg
December 2 – As public relations campaigns go, Russia’s 2018 World Cup delegation at the Soccerex conference in Johannesburg could not have done much more than name their imposing stand Red Square Lounge.
By Duncan Mackay in Johannesburg
December 1 – Ronald de Boer, the former Dutch and Rangers star, claimed that Qatar has the ability to host the “best World Cup ever” after he was officially unveiled here today along with Argentina’s Gabriel Batistuta as an ambassador for their bid to host the 2022 World Cup.
By Duncan Mackay
December 1 – Hollywood star Nicole Kidman (pictured) has lent her voice to Australia’s bid for the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cups.
By Andrew Warshaw in Johannesburg
December 1 – England’s 2018 World Cup bid team today launched a passionate defence of their campaign here as the public relations war among bidding nations intensified.
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By Andrew Warshaw in Johannesburg
December 1 – Two of world football’s most respected statesmen have called for the immediate introduction of goal line technology as a result of the infamous Thierry Henry handball that is showing no sign of being taken off the game’s agenda.
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By Andrew Warshaw
January 1 - FIFA President Sepp Blatter (pictured) will be more likely to support sole nations bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups than joint bids, insideworldfootball has learned.
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By David Owen
December 1 – The Australian bid for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups has scored a major coup by securing backing from Emeritus Archbishop Desmond Tutu (pictured).
By Duncan Mackay in Johannesburg
December 1 – South African Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron (pictured) has been named as the guest presenter for the 2010 World Cup draw in Cape Town on Friday, and will be joined on stage by a host of sporting celebrities including David Beckham, Haile Gebrselassie and Makhaya Ntini.
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By Duncan Mackay in Johannesburg
November 30 – Paul Elliott, the former Chelsea and Celtic defender who is a member of England 2018’s Board, today met with FIFA Executive Committee member Amos Adamu (pictured) at Soccerex, the global football convention.
The jury is now out on the question of which dozen-or-so of the 15 applicant English cities will be become potential hosts for the 2014 World Cup finals should England’s bid be successful – with a decision due on the 16th of this month.
By Duncan Mackay in Johannesburg
November 30 – Australia will offer to host a “no worries” FIFA World Cup as it goes head to head with its nine rivals for the first time in its bid for the 2018 or 2022 tournaments, it has promised.