Qatar continues to cause problems for FIFA

Days before the World Cup kicks off in Brazil, the equally troubled 2022 tournament in Qatar continues to cause FIFA problems.

After The Sunday Times newspaper published more allegations linking Mohamed bin Hammam to corruptly building support for Qatar's hosting bid, World Cup sponsors took the rare step of commenting on FIFA business.

FIFA's longest-standing backer, Adidas, lamented a negative tone "neither good for football nor for FIFA and its partners."

The tense Saturday evening wait for the newspaper's latest claims was evident at FIFA's World Cup hotel base in Sao Paulo and could be repeated in Rio de Janeiro next week as the newspaper has promised further revelations.

Football's power brokers move to Rio after World Cup matches begin on Thursday.

The Qatar allegations have revived calls for a revote of the 2022 election, and diverted some attention from Brazil pushing its World Cup preparations to the brink.

The $400 million Itaquerao stadium in Sao Paulo will be barely completed before Thursday's 5 p.m. (2000 GMT) opening kickoff between Brazil and Croatia.

Many in the sold-out 61,000 crowd could struggle to reach the venue, far north-east of the city center, if a subway workers strike which began on Thursday continues.

FIFA had some good news Sunday when a Sao Paulo court ruled the strike over pay was illegal.

Still, union members decided to continue the action and a general strike threatened Wednesday could affect VIP guests arriving for the opening match.

On Sunday, FIFA President Sepp Blatter and its top World Cup organizing official, secretary general Jerome Valcke, declined to discuss any off-field issues.

The mood was more relaxed on a sun-bathed Sunday at FIFA's hotel base after a scheduled two-day board meeting wrapped early on Saturday evening.

The executive committee session had finished, and members dispersed, minutes before The Sunday Times was published.

Ethics investigation

Last weekend, the British newspaper said its cache of Bin Hammam's emails and documents leaked by "a senior FIFA insider" revealed he paid $5 million to African football leaders for supporting Qatar's 2022 bid and his own FIFA presidential ambitions.

It revived questions about the integrity of natural-gas rich Qatar's win which swirled even before the December 2010 vote ofFIFA'sboard. It also chose Russia as 2018 World Cup host.

The first round of allegations came on the eve ofFIFAethics prosecutor Michael Garcia meeting Qatar bid officials in Oman, as he completes a lengthy investigation of the two World Cup bid contests.

This time, The Sunday Times implicated BinHammam, whoFIFAexpelled for financial wrongdoing in 2012, in a natural gas deal with Thailand, home country of longtimeFIFAboard allyWorawiMakudi.

BinHammamallegedly set up government-level talks for Qatar to sell natural gas "potentially worth tens of millions of dollars to Thailand."