Zurich: Newly-elected FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed that the next two World Cups will still take place in Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022.

The 2018 and 2022 tournaments to be staged in Russia and Qatar has to be the ‘best in history’ the new FIFA chief said on his first full working day.

Speaking after an informal match with FIFA employees and guests Infantino said: “Concerning Qatar and Russia the decisions were taken in 2010 by the executive committee.”

“It’s now necessary to organise the best World Cup in history in Russia in 2018 and in 2022 in Qatar.”

Russia and Qatar won the right to host the tournaments in a vote in Zurich in December 2010.

FIFA has been forced to investigate the decision to grant the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 finals to Qatar and an investigation is also under way by the Swiss attorney general’s office. Last March the FIFA executive committee decided to move the 2022 tournament to the winter months because of the summer heat in Qatar.

The move was recommended by a FIFA task force headed by Infantino’s election rival Sheikh Salman of Bahrain.

Earlier the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy congratulated Infantino on his election and said they were looking forward to working with the Swiss.

“The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy would like to congratulate Gianni Infantino on his appointment as FIFA President. We wish President Infantino well in his new role and look forward to working closely with him as we continue our preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar.

“We would also like to commend the other four Presidential candidates who contributed a great deal to an election campaign run during a crucial time for football. We wish all of them the greatest success and luck in their future careers.”

Meanwhile Infantino said he still did not know what he would be paid as head of soccer’s global governing body.

The Swiss said he expected the bidding process for the 2026 World Cup delayed last year by a scandal which has engulfed FIFA should begin in the next couple of months.

Infantino said he had still not discussed his salary following his election on Friday.

“I have no idea yet” he told reporters. “I know you can’t believe it but it’s not (for the) money that I was candidate to become FIFA president.”

“I have not discussed with anyone about my pay or what my pay will be. We will see.”

The salary of Infantino’s predecessor Sepp Blatter suspended from soccer for six years has never been made public. But reforms agreed by FIFA last week to overcome the corruption scandal included provision for salaries to be open to scrutiny.

He said bidding for the 2026 World Cup hosting which was supposed to have started in 2015 with a decision due in Kuala Lumpur next year should begin before the Mexico City congress in May.

“Definitely I think we need to launch the bidding process in the next couple of months probably before the next Congress in May” Infantino said.

Meanwhile UEFA will name a new temporary general secretary on Friday to take over from former European football number two Infantino the new FIFA president a source said yesterday.

Greece’s Theodore Theodoridis would appear to be favourite for the job Infantino quit to take up his new role with FIFA.

UEFA’s executive committee will meet on Friday morning in Nyon to decide on the matter.

The role is an important one as UEFA president Michel Platini is banned from all football activities for six years although he is engaged in legal proceedings to have that ban overturned.

To this end Platini is appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Should Platini have his ban overturned it will be then up to him to keep the new number two or not. If Platini’s case is unsuccessful it will be up to the new president of UEFA to decide.

Platini was found guilty of a conflict of interest when former FIFA supremo Sepp Blatter approved a 2 million Swiss francs (1.8m euros $2m) payment to Platini in 2011 for consultancy work done without a contract a decade earlier.Agencies