FIFA’s secret deal to hand the US TV rights for the 2026 World Cup to the Fox network in America without a tender process is expected to come under scrutiny, leaving football’s world governing body open to compensation claims over the awarding of the 2022 World Cup.

Since FIFA’s president Sepp Blatter announced he intends to make way for a successor in the next year, more revelations about FIFA’s behaviour have emerged - including a payment of €5million (£3.6m) to the FA of Ireland to prevent legal action by the FAI over Thierry Henry’s handball against Ireland in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.

The FAI have published the legal contract that sealed the hush-hush deal, which was signed by FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, as well as a bank transfer chit showing the cash entering their account.

Sepp Blatter’s time as FIFA president is coming to an end with revelations of wrongdoing emerging by the day

Blatter shakes hands with FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, who signed off the Ireland hush money deal

HOW SPORTSMAIL HELPED BRING DOWN BLATTER! The momentous events that led to Sepp Blatter's resignation gained momentum last Sunday when The Mail on Sunday was the first publication to reveal his No 2, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, signed off $10m in payments to Jack Warner identified as bribes by US investigators(left). FIFA claimed a dead man was responsible - the late FIFA executive Julio Grondona. Paperwork from South Africa proved Valcke’s involvement and Blatter announced his intention to resign within hours. Advertisement

FIFA have not responded to questions about how many other similar secret payments they have made, or on other covert deals kept from the public.

But Valcke admitted in February that Fox and the Spanish-language platform Telemundo had been awarded the 2026 World Cup rights ‘in order to protect FIFA’ from a legal threat over the moving of the 2022 World Cup from summer to winter. ‘We have done what we had to do in order to protect FIFA and the organisation of the World Cup,’ he said.

Fox and Telemundo agreed to pay almost $1bn for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups on the basis they would be played in the summer. Fox were outraged at the prospect of a winter 2022 World Cup clashing with the NFL season.

So FIFA placated Fox by handing them the 2026 rights without any tender process, and it is understood there is a contractual agreement in place, signed by top FIFA officials, for that deal. FIFA did not respond to requests on Saturday night to confirm this, or to publish the contract.

If it is confirmed that FIFA effectively bought Fox’s compliance because they felt Fox had a legal case over the 2022 switch to winter, it would increase the chances of the losing bidders for 2022 - the USA, Australia, Japan and South Korea - claiming compensation for bidding for a World Cup under what might legally be claimed were FIFA’s false pretences that it would be a summer tournament.

Valcke admitted that Fox and the Spanish-language Telemundo had been awarded the 2026 World Cup rights ‘in order to protect FIFA’ from a legal threat over the moving of the 2022 World Cup from summer to winter

Football Association of Ireland published the contract, signed by FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, that sealed €5million in hush money to avoid legal proceedings over their defeat by a Thierry Henry handball

The American authorities are already investigating alleged corruption in the awards of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar, as are the Swiss authorities.

The fact that all the World Cups from 1998 to 2026 - where the venue is still unknown — are under scrutiny highlights the unprecedented crisis engulfing FIFA.

The 1998 World Cup award to France has become opaque after claims that bribes were offered in a hosting race also contested by Morocco. It is alleged Morocco offered to bribe former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner.

The 2002 World Cup is not under active investigation but former UEFA president Lennart Johansson has said in the past that FIFA executive committee members were offered bribes from nations bidding to stage it.

The 2006 World Cup award to Germany has long been rumoured to have been less than clean and new allegations claim Germany supplied Saudi Arabia with arms in exchange for support for their bid, which narrowly beat South Africa 12-11.

Indicted former FIFA vice president Jack Warner sits in his office in Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday

The 2010 World Cup, hosted by South Africa, is now subject to claims that bribes were paid to Warner and others for votes. The FBI are also investigating the 2014 World Cup over alleged bribes and kickbacks related to tournament contractors.

With 2018, 2022 and 2026 also causing FIFA headaches, one veteran sports administrator who has succeeded in cleaning up institutional scandals is unsure football can quickly remedy its problems.

‘It’s a complete and utter mess,’ said Dick Pound, who headed the International Olympic Committee clean-up of the 2002 Salt Lake bribery scandal. ‘It may be too late.’

Pound, a Canadian lawyer, added: ‘[The IOC] took it seriously and did what we had to do. I don’t know whether FIFA is willing or even able to do the same sort of thing.’