The number of candidates bidding to stage the 2018 or 2022 World Cup rose to 12 yesterday when Egypt and South Korea made late entries.
FIFA said Egypt became the first African country to put their name forward in a race that includes five potential bidders from Asia, four from Europe and two from the Americas.
South Korea will be up against Asian rivals Japan, the country they co-hosted the 2002 World Cup with, Indonesia, Qatar and Australia.
England and Russia are among the European contenders along with joint bids from Spain/Portugal and Netherlands/Belgium.
Mexico and 1994 World Cup hosts the United States are the other names on the list which is due to be finalised by FIFA today.
Ex-Villa midfielder Birch dies, 46
Paul Birch, the former Aston Villa and Wolves midfielder, lost a long battle against cancer and passed away yesterday, aged 46.
Birch started playing at Villa as an apprentice in 1980 and made more than 200 appearances for the club. He joined Wolves in 1991 and played more than 150 matches for them before joining Preston on loan and having spells at Doncaster Rovers and Exeter City.
Birch, who also had a spell as coach at Birmingham, helped Villa get promoted back into the top flight in 1988 and was part of the side that finished second in Division One two years later.
Unlucky Kleber denied by woodwork
Santos striker Kleber Pereira hit the post four times in an extraordinary 13 minutes of bad luck as his side went down to a shock 2-0 defeat to Ituano on Sunday.
Kleber's run began when he struck the outside of the left-hand post with a bicycle kick in the 21st minute, then hit the foot of the other post one minute later. In the 31st minute, he struck the right post again and three minutes later he beat his marker only to foiled by the woodwork for a fourth time.
In between, Ricardo Xavier fired Ituano ahead in the Paulista championship match.
Two other Santos players also struck the post while an injury-time goal from Alex Afonso handed Pele's former team their first defeat of the season.
Lotito says Rossi job safe
Claudio Lotito told reporters coach Delio Rossi will not be fired despite a poor run of form that has seen the Sky Blues lose their last three games and concede 10 goals in the process.
"Rumours are born, they grow and I hope they end," Lotito, who was thought to be considering Rossi's future after Sunday's 3-0 defeat at home to Milan, said.
"Against Milan, we had great opportunities and didn't take them. In the end a lack of experience cost us. A club like Milan with all its champions knows how to manage a game better than us."
Appeal against Lampard's red card
Chelsea have appealed against the red card shown to midfielder Frank Lampard in Sunday's 2-0 Premier League defeat to Liverpool.
Lampard faces a three-match ban after being sent off on the hour mark by referee Mike Riley for a tackle on Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso with the score at 0-0.
The FA said that a regulatory commission would hear the appeal today.
"I only ask that the referee and the men from the FA look at the video," Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari said.
Chelsea defender Jose Bosingwa may also face an FA inquiry after the Portuguese international stamped on Liverpool's Yossi Benayoun in the dying minutes of Sunday's defeat, an act which went unpunished by Riley.
Basinas joins Portsmouth on loan
Greece captain Angelos Basinas has joined Portsmouth on loan from AEK Athens.
The 33-year-old former Panathinaikos and Real Mallorca midfielder, who has 97 caps, signed an 18-month loan deal.
Basinas joins fellow Greek international Theofanis Gekas, a 28-year-old striker, who has also signed for Pompey on loan from Bayer Leverkusen until the end of the season.
Portsmouth executive chairman Peter Storrie said: "We've brought in someone of immense experience, the current captain of Greece who is just three games away from winning his 100th cap for his country."
Real pick Diarra over Huntelaar
Real Madrid have decided midfielder Lassana Diarra will play in the Champions League knockout stages and not striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar, UEFA said following Sunday's deadline for registrations.
The Spanish champions were forced to choose between the two new signings because of UEFA rules that state only one player can be registered who has already played in a UEFA competition with another club this season.
Netherlands striker Huntelaar and France midfielder Diarra have already played in the UEFA Cup this season for Ajax and Portsmouth respectively.
Real host Liverpool at the Bernabeu on Feb. 25 and visit Anfield on March 10.