ZURICH: World football federation FIFA has denied a report that congress in May will stage a new vote on whether to hold the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The finals were awarded to the Gulf state, controversially, in December 2010, when Russia was also awarded 2018.

Reports in the German media claimed that FIFA prosecutor Michael Garcia’s investigation into the awards would lead to him recommending a rerun of the vote, by the entire FIFA Congress in Mauritius in May.

The 2022 award remains an issue for debate after criticism in France of UEFA president Michel Platini’s presence at a dinner held by then-President Nicolas Sarkozy with the Emir of Qatar some 10 days before the crucial vote.

Hence FIFA moved quickly to quash speculation of a new vote.

A statement said: “FIFA would like to clarify that there will be no new ballot on the 2022 FIFA World Cup at the next FIFA Congress in May 2013 in Mauritius. The facts have not changed since the last statement of the FIFA Ethics Committee.

“In its official statement released after its last meeting, the Ethics Committee merely announced that it would conduct a review of allegations referred to the Ethics Committee by FIFA following media reports regarding events surrounding the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, including the evidentiary basis for and credibility of any allegations of individual misconduct.

“All other claims in current media reports are completely groundless.”

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