Story highlights FIFA postpones bidding process for the 2026 World Cup amid investigations into past tournaments

Jerome Valcke says preparations for hosting the 2018 World Cup in Russia are "on track"

He denies any wrongdoing over a $10 million payment made by South Africa

(CNN) FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke said Wednesday that FIFA would "postpone" the bidding process for the 2026 World Cup, as investigations continue into allegations that bribery helped determine the hosts of earlier World Cups.

World soccer's governing body had expected to allocate the 2026 tournament to a host nation in 2017, with the bidding process to start soon, Valcke said, but in the current situation, it's "nonsense to start any bidding process for the time being."

FIFA said Monday that there are no legal grounds for it to take the 2018 World Cup from Russia or the 2022 event from Qatar.

Speaking to reporters while on a visit to Russia on Wednesday, Valcke said preparations for hosting the 2018 World Cup were "on track."

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FIFA has been embroiled in scandal since the United States indicted 14 people, including nine top FIFA officials, on corruption charges last month. Swiss authorities simultaneously opened a separate investigation into how the 2018 and 2022 World Cup were awarded.

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