FIFA President Sepp Blatter favoured South Africa and would have cast the tie-breaking vote. This has produced outrage in South Africa and provoked an internal inquiry by FIFA into the bidding war for the rights to host the World Cup. Nevertheless FIFA says the vote stands. His justification for abstaining speaks volumes about the character of a contest over what is certainly the world's richest and for many the most prestigious sporting event. He hoped the no-vote would ensure the OFC would make no enemies and stay friends with all concerned.
Football is no longer a sport, it's a political scene.
Initially attention was focused on the activities of the German satirical magazine Titanic , which had faxed 8 members of the 24-member FIFA executive committee, including Dempsey, offering small bribes for backing Germany and arranging for hotel staff to slide faxes under delegates' doors around midnight. Up until the whole of the pressure came on, I would've been voting for South Africa. He had contacted his lawyers and other delegates to the OFC before he made his decision. Despite the satirical hoax, there was nothing imagined about the pressure on Dempsey. He has also said that amongst the calls he had received were ones from former South African President Nelson Mandela and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.