Fifa is considering postponing its decision on the host countries for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups as it investigates allegations that two senior committee members offered to sell their votes.
Although some members say the vote should go ahead on 2 December, it is understood that a postponement is being talked about in senior circles of the world governing body.
England, Russia, Spain/Portugal and Holland/Belgium are bidding for the 2018 World Cup. The USA, Australia, Qatar, Japan and South Korea are bidding to host the 2022 tournament.
The Fifa ethics committee will this week begin an investigation into a Sunday Times exposé of two members of the 24-man Fifa executive committee, Amos Adamu from Nigeria and Reynald Temarii from Tahiti, who is the president of the Oceania Football Confederation.
Reporters from the Sunday Times newspaper posed as English-based lobbyists for a consortium of private American companies who wanted to help secure the World Cup for the United States. At an initial meeting in London, Adamu is said to have told reporters that he wanted $800,000 (£500,000) to build four artificial football pitches in his country. Temarii is also alleged to have asked for a payment, in his case to finance a sports academy.
When contacted, Adamu refused to comment. Temarii was unavailable for comment.
A Fifa statement read: "Fifa and the Fifa ethics committee have closely monitored the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 Fifa World Cups and will continue to do so.
"Fifa has already requested to receive all of the information and documents related to this matter, and is awaiting to receive this material. In any case, Fifa will immediately analyse the material available and only once this analysis has concluded will Fifa be able to decide on any potential next steps.
"In the meantime, Fifa is not in a position to provide any further comments on this matter."
The Oceania Football Confederation said it was investigating the reports. A statement said: "OFC is aware of the story that appeared in the Sunday Times in England today. As such, OFC is currently looking into the matter."
Adamu told the Sunday Times he had been talking about business in Nigeria after the World Cup and said that his vote was not for sale.
