Aust, US in line if Qatar loses Cup

English Football Association chairman Greg Dyke says if Qatar is stripped of the 2022 World Cup he expects it will be hosted in either Australia or the United States.

The 2022 bid process is under fresh investigation by Swiss authorities amid the separate arrests of 14 people connected to Fifa on corruption charges.

‘‘If in the end they say it was a perfectly fair process then of course it should go ahead because there are contracts,’’ Dyke said.

‘‘But if they come out and say they think – as I suspect from all the journalism that has been done – that an awful lot of money was thrown at this and some of it went to people who it shouldn’t have gone to, then I do think it should be rebid.’’

Dyke said England – which failed in its bid to host the 2018 event – wouldn’t be involved in the process as Europe could not host twice in a row after Russia 2018. ‘‘I think it’s probably likely either to go to Australia or America who were the two under-bidders.’’ Australia spent $46 million on its bid which gained just one vote as Qatar won unexpectedly.

Qatar’s Football Association hit back at Dyke’s claims it should be nervous following the shock resignation of Fifa president Sepp Blatter, saying it had nothing to hide over its controversial bid and urged Dyke to make good on his promise to build an England team capable of winning the tournament.