England to drop Russia bid complaint

LONDON - England's 2018 World Cup bid team signalled an end to its high-stakes dispute with rival Russia on Thursday, withdrawing a complaint to FIFA and saying it had accepted an apology for critical comments.

England's campaign team said on Thursday Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko had given its bid an "honorable" apology.

"We, of course, accepted this apology and appreciate the gesture," the England bid team said. "We now wish to move on from this matter."