England’s failed 2018 World Cup bid cost £21million - some £6m more than had been widely reported, according to the latest FA accounts.

The bid ended in humiliation last December, attracting only two FIFA members’ votes, including that of  British FIFA vice-president Geoff Thompson - a former FA chairman.

The FA accounts have for the first time provided details of 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 coming from sponsors.

And the winner is: FIFA President Sepp Blatter announces Russia as the winning country to host the 2018 World Cup

Until now it had been thought the expenditure had been £15m, including the public money. That was also the sum mentioned by Minister for Sport Hugh Robertson last week at the Leaders in Football conference in London.

Robertson said he regretted the money that had been spent on the 2018 bid because FIFA had been intent on taking the World Cup to new territories.

He said: ‘When I look back on it, I wish we’d had the gumption to realise at a very early stage that FIFA wanted something fundamentally different than what we were putting on the table. I wish we’d had foresight to appreciate that earlier in order to stop the investment of £15m.’

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