FIFA finalise 2010 SWC profits

Zurich - FIFA is preparing to reveal its total profit from the 2010 World Cup, and decide how many teams from each continent will qualify for the 2014 tournament.

FIFA said Tuesday that its 2010 financial report will be published after a two-day executive committee meeting next week in Zurich.

The document will tally income and spending in the four-year financial cycle leading up to last year's tournament in South Africa.

The final figure is expected to rise above the $3.2 bn revenue from broadcasting and commercial deals FIFA predicted last year.

Four years ago, FIFA said it banked a $45m share of the $156m profit generated from the 2006 World Cup by the organising committee in Germany

FIFA's executive panel will also discuss how 31 World Cup qualification places should be allocated to join 2014 host Brazil.

The strongest push for change is likely to come from the CONCACAF region, which wants a guaranteed fourth entry for its 35 members from North and Central America and the Caribbean.

"We believe that CONCACAF deserves another full place at the World Cup finals due to the performances of our teams on the field and the actions of our confederation off it," its president Jack Warner, a FIFA vice president, said last month.

In South Africa, CONCACAF had just three teams - the United States, Mexico and Honduras. Its fourth best team, Costa Rica, lost in a playoff to South America's fifth-ranked team Uruguay.

CONCACAF is likely to argue that South America could forfeit the right to a playoff, as host Brazil gets direct entry. That scenario would leave nine South American teams contesting four guaranteed slots.

Europe currently has 53 nations ranked by FIFA competing for 13 qualification berths; Africa has 52 chasing five places; Asia has 46 playing for four guaranteed spots, plus a playoff against the best from Oceania's 11 members.

Asia and Oceania have said they are satisfied with the existing system.

Oceania will send its new president, David Chung from Papua New Guinea, to his first meeting of FIFA's ruling panel with vice president status.

Chung was elected last month to replace Reynald Temarii from Tahiti, who was suspended by FIFA following a British newspaper's investigation into alleged corruption during the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding races. Temarii is appealing his one-year ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

One of Chung's first decisions will be voting for the 2015 Women's World Cup host. Canada and Zimbabwe are competing for the rights.

Executive members are expected to be updated on a FIFA probe into suspicions that two international friendly matches were staged in Turkey this month by an agency setting up a betting scam with the help of corrupt match officials.

The panel also will choose venues for the FIFA Congress in 2012 and 2013.