An investigation into the decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, initially scheduled for completion this month, is only likely to be finished in September, FIFA said yesterday.

“We expect to deliver our report to the adjudicatory chamber by the first week of September 2014,” said a statement.

Former US attorney Michael Garcia has been leading an internal probe by FIFA’s ethics committee into allegations of corruption in the run-up to the vote in December 2010, which awarded the tournament to the Gulf state.

Garcia had said in June that he expected to deliver his report by the end of this month.

Garcia’s report will be handed to German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert and if he finds corruption, Qatar could face a challenge to its position as host either through a re-vote or other processes.

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