<P> The choice of Russia as host has been challenged . Controversial issues have included the level of racism in Russian football, and discrimination against LGBT people in wider Russian society . Russia's involvement in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has also caused calls for the tournament to be moved, particularly following the annexation of Crimea . In 2014, FIFA President Sepp Blatter stated that "The World Cup has been given and voted to Russia and we are going forward with our work". </P> <P> Allegations of corruption in the bidding processes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups caused threats from England's FA to boycott the tournament . FIFA appointed Michael J. Garcia, a US attorney, to investigate and produce a report on the corruption allegations . Although the report was never published, FIFA released a 42 - page summary of its findings as determined by German judge Hans - Joachim Eckert . Eckert's summary cleared Russia and Qatar of any wrongdoing, but was denounced by critics as a whitewash . Garcia criticised the summary as being "materially incomplete" with "erroneous representations of the facts and conclusions", and appealed to FIFA's Appeal Committee . The committee declined to hear his appeal, so Garcia resigned in protest of FIFA's conduct, citing a "lack of leadership" and lack of confidence in the independence of Eckert . </P> <P> On 3 June 2015, the FBI confirmed that the federal authorities were investigating the bidding and awarding processes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups . In an interview published on 7 June 2015, Domenico Scala, the head of FIFA's Audit And Compliance Committee, stated that "should there be evidence that the awards to Qatar and Russia came only because of bought votes, then the awards could be cancelled". Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and former British Prime Minister David Cameron attended a meeting with FIFA vice-president Chung Mong - joon in which a vote - trading deal for the right to host the 2018 World Cup in England was discussed . </P> <P> In response to the March 2018 poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, British Prime Minister Theresa May announced that no British ministers or members of the royal family would attend the World Cup, and issued a warning to any travelling England fans . Iceland is diplomatically boycotting the World Cup . Russia responded to the comments from the UK Parliament claiming that "the west are trying to deny Russia the World Cup". The Russian Foreign Ministry denounced Boris Johnson's statements about the 1936 Olympics and the World Cup as "poisoned with venom of hate, unprofessionalism and boorishness" and "unacceptable and unworthy" parallel towards Russia, a "nation that lost millions of lives in fighting Nazism". </P>

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