Blatter: No new World Cup vote

FIFA's executive committee agreed unanimously that an "appropriate" form of the report into World Cup bidding by Michael Garcia, the ethics investigator who resigned earlier this week, should be published but with names and other details removed.

Officials at a meeting in Morocco agreed to the proposal without a vote being taken - but nothing will be published until the ethics committee charges against three FIFA ExCo members - Angel Villar Llona of Spain, Belgium's Michel D'Hooghe and Thailand's Worawi Makudi - have been dealt with.

American lawyer Garcia produced a 430-page report into the bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. He quit on Wednesday as FIFA's ethics investigator after losing his appeal challenging the findings to clear Russia and Qatar to host the World Cups.

The FIFA ExCo meeting in Marrakesh was given a presentation by Domenico Scala, the head of FIFA's audit and compliance committee, who suggested the report should be published in an "appropriate form" - with all names and other details redacted. This was agreed to by the members without a vote - though it is understood there were some strong views expressed questioning how much of the report should be made public.

Blatter said in a statement: "The report is about history and I am focused on the future. We will not revisit the 2018 and 2022 vote and a report by independent, external legal experts commissioned by Mr Scala supports the view that there are no legal grounds to revoke the executive committee's decision on the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups."

He added: "We also need to remember that while the report is complete, the investigations flowing from it are not. We must ensure that we do not jeopardise those investigations and the proceedings against various individuals already initiated by the independent ethics committee. Participants in the investigation also deserve to have their rights respected.

"It is clear that while a summary of the report was issued, the publication of this report has become a barrier to rebuilding public confidence and trust in FIFA. Part of this is due to the fact that we have been deliberate in the way that we have moved through the process. We need to ensure that we respect the rules of our organisation and that we do not breach confidentiality in a way that will prevent people from speaking out in the future."

Britain's FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce, from Northern Ireland, welcomed the move to publish the report in some form.

He said: "I am pleased the the FIFA executive committee decided without a vote to publish this report. It shows that people at FIFA at the moment do desire transparency and the sooner we can get on with talking about the game of football that we all love, the better."

FIFA's ExCo appointed Zurich-based Swiss lawyer Cornel Borbely to replace Garcia in an acting capacity. Borbely had been Garcia's deputy and took charge of the investigation into the Russian and American bids.

Borbely's main task will be to take over the cases of FIFA ExCo members Villar Llona, D'Hooghe and Makudi, who all had proceedings opened against them by Garcia for either alleged code breaches during the 2018/2022 bidding process or for failing to comply with his investigations.

Garcia had also opened proceedings against former ExCo member Franz Beckenbauer, the former Germany player and coach, and Harold Mayne-Nicholls, the head of FIFA's inspection team which compiled a technical report on the countries bidding for 2018 and 2022.

FIFA also confirmed that a final decision on the timing of the 2022 World Cup will be taken in March - November/December 2022 remains the most likely time in order to avoid the extreme heat of the summer.

The last meeting of the task force looking at the dates will take place in Doha, Qatar, on February 23. The executive committee also supported the creation of an independent body to oversee a programme to improve workers' rights in Qatar.

Meanwhile, new rules banning third party ownership of players will come into force on May 1 next year, though existing agreements will be permitted until a player's contract expires.

In other decisions, the ExCo agreed to scrap the age limit of 45 for referees - officials instead will have to take an annual fitness test.

A FIFA statement said: "The executive committee... approved the proposal from the referees committee that every FIFA referee over the age of 45 shall be carefully evaluated by the referees committee every year according to technical assessments, medical examinations and fitness tests."

Prize money for the women's World Cup will rise by 50 per cent, $10m in 2011 to $15m in 2015, $2m going to the winning team.