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FIFA has suspended the 2026 World Cup bidding process amid a widening corruption scandal implicating previous bid contests. FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke says it would be "nonsense" to begin the process now. FIFA planned to write to its 209 member federations this week to explain the bidding timetable and rules. The 2026 host is expected to be chosen by the 209 members at their May 2017 meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Potential bidders include the United States, Mexico, Canada and countries from Europe. Valcke spoke at a news conference with Russian organisers of the 2018 World Cup, and defended his role in alleged bribes paid by South Africa during the 2010 bidding contest. Despite the current crisis, which has seen Sepp Blatter resign as the organisation's president, FIFA is pushing ahead with preparations for the 2018 tournament, and Valcke attended a meeting of the organisers in the city of Samara in the Volga region on Wednesday. Valcke, who has found himself at the heart of allegations that South Africa paid a $10 million (£6.5M) bribe to Jack Warner via FIFA's executive office, said after the meeting: "Overall the preparations for the FIFA Confederations Cup and the FIFA World Cup as well as our first major event, the preliminary draw, are well underway and on schedule." Russia 2018 local organising committee chairman Vitaly Mutko said: "Here, in Samara, we made certain again that Russia is ready to present the wonderful gift to the rest of the world -- 2018 FIFA World Cup. "So as St. Petersburg, one of the beautiful cities of Russia, is ready to host the first official event of 2018 FIFA World Cup, the preliminary draw," he said. "We as a host country continue to fulfil our obligations to prepare all the events and projects of 2018 FIFA World Cup in time, we are well on track and on schedule. "There's no doubt all the events of 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia will go through at top level." Valcke also defended FIFA's handling of the $10 million payment to a Caribbean Football Union account controlled by Warner, the former FIFA vice president whose deputy, Chuck Blazer, pleaded guilty in court to having taken some of the money as a bribe to vote for South Africa to host the 2010 World Cup. The payment followed a 2008 letter from the South African Football Association (SAFA) to Valcke asking for the money to be deducted for the World Cup budget and sent as a legacy programme to be administered by Warner. Valcke told the news conference: "It was not FIFA's money ... it was a request from official South African authorities and SAFA. As long as it is in line with rules we do it. "I don't understand what's the problem and why I am such a target in this question. "You [the media] have decided that after Blatter I am the head to be cut, fine, but don't say it is because of this $10 million." Press Association Sport reported on Tuesday that the $10 million never appeared in the financial statements of either the CFU or the CONCACAF federation.
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