South America

Over 200,000 fake merchandising items were seized by French authorities before the World Cup and thousands were still on sale around the stadiums during Wednesday's first two matches, a government official said on Thursday.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has said that he expected England to present a strong, professional bid to host the 2006 World Cup finals - although Africa was still the logical choice to stage the tournament.

FIFA will lay down strict rules to countries bidding to host the 2006 World Cup finals to avoid the sort of scandal over bribery that has rocked the Olympic movement, FIFA President Sepp Blatter has announced.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said it will not make a choice this weekend between the two African countries bidding to host the 2006 World Cup.

A sell-out crowd and record viewing figures have all but been ensured by the presence of the US team in next Saturday's Women's World Cup Final at the Pasadena Rose Bowl.

World Cup Skateboarding (WCS), the world skateboarding sanctioning body and tour organiser, has appointed action-sport marketing agency IMS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sportsworld Media Group plc to manage its commercial interests globally.

ESPN International has appointed Brazilian native Antonio Barreto to oversee its entire Latin American operation.

Australian Swimming has launched a plan to lift the sport?s everyday profile.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter is confident of reaching agreement over a new transfer system acceptable to the European Union, despite reports of a rift with UEFA.

A Brazilian congressional commission investigating the country's crisis-hit national sport has summoned five soccer players who it says were caught in Europe with counterfeit passports. For the full details of the major probe into the way soccer is run in Brazil see the FEATURES section of sportbusiness.com.

A new race in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex as well as first-time events in England, Germany and Mexico highlight the record 22-race FedEx Championship Series schedule for the 2001 season.

German Football Federation (DFB) president Egidius Braun has been taken to hospital over the weekend, a DFB spokesman said.

Prince Alexandre de Merode offered to step down as head of the IOC's anti-doping campaign after 33 years on Wednesday because of criticism but was urged to stay on by Olympic leaders, an IOC spokesman said.

Countries bidding for the 2006 soccer World Cup are beginning the countdown to decision day ? exactly 100 days away.

Morocco, in a move to reaffirm its bid to stage the 2006 World Cup, says it has no plans to withdraw from the competition to host the finals, an official statement said.

Colombians are furious over Ameriko, the multi-cultured mascot for this year's Copa America which the Andean nation hosts in July.