FIFA dismisses corruption claims

FIFA on Tuesday cleared its longest serving executive board member Michel D'Hooghe of Belgium of four corruption charges in the bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups won by Russia and Qatar.

D'Hooghe, chairman of FIFA's medical committee, was one of a number of past and present FIFA officials under investigation following corruption allegations made since the 2010 votes for the World Cup venues.

The soccer world body's ethics committee said its investigatory chamber found "there is insufficient evidence to suggest that Dr D'Hooghe violated any provisions of the FIFA code of ethics".