FIFA challenges FA to waive right to legal action in exchange for publishing World Cup report

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has put the ball back in the Football Association's court after FA chairman Greg Dyke called on football's governing body to publish investigator Michael Garcia's report into the controversial bidding processes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Dyke wrote to all 26 FIFA executive committee members after FIFA judge Hans-Joachim Eckert cleared Russia and Qatar to host the next two editions of the tournament with a 42-page summary of Garcia's findings. However, even Garcia claimed the summary contained "numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations of the facts."

In a letter obtained by the Guardian, Blatter responded to Dyke by challenging the FA to waive its right to legal action against FIFA in return for publishing the chapters relating to England's 2018 World Cup bid.

Blatter's letter begins by stating: "I note your opinion that FIFA's reputation in England is rather low," before going on to a list of arguments as to why he will not publish Garcia's report in full. Chief among them is Blatter's insistence that publication is not an option because Swiss law includes protection of "personality rights."

Earlier this week, however, two whistleblowers who provided information to Garcia submitted formal complaints over their anonymity being compromised by FIFA as Eckert's summary led to them being identified.