The Sunday Times Insight team's 11-page exposé of the "plot to buy the World Cup" would have sent shockwaves throughout football had the meticulous details been surprising. However, since Qatar were awarded the 2022 finals by 14 votes to eight, suspicion has been rife their winning bid was not above board, and just two weeks after Fifa president Sepp Blatter conceded it was a mistake to host the World Cup in the Gulf state his organisation is under mounting pressure to move the finals.
Here are the standout facts of the Insight team's commendable investigation, where the Qatari vice-president of Fifa, Mohamed bin Hammam is accused of...
- Using 10 slush funds controlled by his private company
- Making payments of up to200,000 were paid into the accounts of 30 African football associations
- Handing out almost400,000 in cash at football junkets held across Africa
- Paying then-Executive Committee (Exco) member for Trinidad & Tobago, Jack Warner,450,000 before 2022 World Cup vote
- Paying the Ivory Coast FA800,000, as part of Fifa's Goal Programme. Ivory Coast Exco member Jacques Anouma vowed to "push very hard the bid of Qatar"
- Delivering 60 premium 2010 World Cup tickets worth £3,800 to the hotel of Issa Hayatou, Confederation of African Football president
- Flying Hayatou to Doha for secret talks at a junket where delegates were lobbied to vote for Qatar