(CNN) FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke said Wednesday that FIFA would "postpone" the bidding process for the 2026 World Cup, as investigations continue into allegations that bribery helped determine the hosts of earlier World Cups.
World soccer's governing body had expected to allocate the 2026 tournament to a host nation in 2017, with the bidding process to start soon, Valcke said, but in the current situation, it's "nonsense to start any bidding process for the time being."
FIFA said Monday that there are no legal grounds for it to take the 2018 World Cup from Russia or the 2022 event from Qatar.
Speaking to reporters while on a visit to Russia on Wednesday, Valcke said preparations for hosting the 2018 World Cup were "on track."
FIFA has been embroiled in scandal since the United States indicted 14 people, including nine top FIFA officials, on corruption charges last month. Swiss authorities simultaneously opened a separate investigation into how the 2018 and 2022 World Cup were awarded.
The U.S. indictment accuses Jack Warner, FIFA's former vice president and a member of parliament in Trinidad and Tobago, of taking a $10 million bribe to vote for South Africa to host the 2010 World Cup. The indictment says South Africa was willing to pay $10 million to the Caribbean Football Union "to support the African diaspora" in exchange for Warner's and two other conspirators' votes to put the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, instead of Morocco. The South African bid committee has denied any impropriety in the payment.
Valcke: 'It was not FIFA's money'
Valcke also strenuously denied any wrongdoing in connection with the $10 million payment.
He said Wednesday that he had signed off on the transfer of funds from South Africa to the Caribbean Football Union, as it was in line with the rules, but that the money was not FIFA's and that the global body could not control how its members dealt with funds.
"Why is it FIFA who has to explain the misuse of the money? It was not FIFA's money. We have nothing to do with this money. I have no more answer about this case," he said.
He also insisted that FIFA "has never been described as a corrupt organization" and that every penny it spent of its own funds was closely audited.
Who might replace Sepp Blatter?
The 39-year-old son of the late King Hussein of Jordan has been a FIFA vice president since 2011, representing Asia. He is the president of the West Asia Football federation. In the first ballot in the recent FIFA presidential election, he only received 73 votes, and most of those likely came from European associations, after his candidacy was put forward by England. Prince Ali told CNN's Christiane Amanpour Tuesday that he's
"at the disposal" of those who want change.
Former Brazilian footballer Arthur Antunes Coimbra -- better known as "Zico" -- is regarded as one of the finest players in his country's history. Now he's announced he will apply for the FIFA presidency, explaining to reporters, "It's sad for our sport to see what is happening in football today... I see it as my duty to use my experience and knowledge to try and stand for the presidency."
The former French great was once an ally of Blatter, but in recent years had opposed the president on many issues. Platini, who turns 60 this month, has been the head of UEFA since 2007 and is a FIFA vice president. He was one of the all-time best players, having three times won European player of the year. Just a few years ago he appeared to be Blatter's successor -- until the president announced he would run again.
The 51-year-old member of the Kuwaiti royal family is a member of the FIFA executive committee and a prominent figure in the Olympic movement. He is president of the Association of National Olympic Committees, which oversees the hundreds of national Olympic committees. Al-Sabah has been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 1992. He is a Blatter supporter, and if he ran, could draw votes from other backers of the outgoing president.
A key figure at UEFA and a member of the federation's executive committee. He runs the national association of the Netherlands and was a candidate earlier this year for FIFA president. He withdrew a week before the election and supported al-Hussein. Van Praag, 67, reportedly is a supporter of a two-term limit for the office.
He has been on the FIFA executive committee for 25 years and is the organization's senior vice president. The former top official for Cameroonian soccer, he has been the president of Africa's confederation since 1988. The 68-year old has twice been publicly accused of taking bribes in connection with soccer events, according to media reports. He denied the allegations and was never charged. He ran for FIFA president in 2002 but lost by a large margin.
Another recent candidate for the office. He dropped out of the race in February when he couldn't get the support of the five national associations necessary to be on the ballot. The former diplomat was one of Blatter's chief advisers from 1999 to 2010 when he was director of international relations for FIFA. During his time there, Champagne worked closely with Blatter, tasked with overseeing improvements in relations with national associations and other international sporting bodies including the International Olympic Committee. He was let go for reasons never fully explained.
His prior candidacy was considered a publicity stunt -- one which lasted just weeks -- by much of the media and soccer public. The Frenchman's bid was backed by Irish bookmaker Paddy Power, who has a self-confessed penchant for mischief, and Ginola reportedly was being paid £250,000 ($375,000) for his involvement. Several outlets, including the BBC, reported Tuesday night he would run again in the special election. The former player, 48, was voted player of the year in his home country's league and in England's Premier League.
Former Portugal captain Luis Figo
pulled out of the running for FIFA president before last week's vote. He hasn't yet said whether he'll re-enter the race now that the FIFA stalwart is stepping aside. After
Tuesday's announcement Figo said, "Change is finally coming. Now we should, responsibly and calmly, find a consensual solution worldwide in order to start new era of dynamism, transparency and democracy in FIFA."
Valcke suggested that the media was out to bring him down, after the announcement by FIFA President Sepp Blatter last week that he would resign as the body's head.
"You have decided that after Blatter, I have to be the head to cut," he said to the gathered reporters.
Russia has insisted that its right to host the World Cup in 2018 is not in question.
Speaking alongside Valcke, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said his country was "acting in the framework of the legislative basis" when it made its winning bid and had nothing to hide.
"I don't see any threats to our championship because we have worked, we really know what we're doing. We want to leave behind something that is great for the future," he said.
FIFA: No grounds to strip Russia or Qatar of World Cup
Claims of rigged voting process
The Sunday Times of London reported over the weekend that secret tapes exposing the rigged voting process for the 2010 Cup were suppressed by FIFA and Blatter, until their release last week.
The BBC reported Sunday that documents show three wire transfers totaling $10 million from FIFA to accounts of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football, which were controlled by Warner, beginning in the winter of 2008. Then, the documents suggest, Warner used that money for cash withdrawals, personal loans, and to launder money, the BBC reported.
There was no immediate response from Warner to those reports in British media.
In all, U.S. prosecutors allege FIFA officials took more than $150 million in bribes to provide "lucrative media and marketing rights" to soccer tournaments.
Complete coverage on FIFA
CNN's Aleks Klosok contributed to this report.