England's failed 2018 World Cup bid cost £21m – some £6m more than had been widely reported, according to the latest Football Association accounts.
The bid for the tournament ended in disaster last December, attracting only two Fifa members' votes including that of the British Fifa vice-president, Geoff Thompson.
The FA accounts have for the first time provided details on the total spending and income of the bid. They show that although net spending was £14m, the total expenditure over two years was £21m. The spending was offset by some public money – local authorities from bidding cities provided £2.5m – plus a further £4.5m came from sponsors.
