Disciplinary proceedings have also been opened against the two FIFA executive members, Nigeria'sAmos Adamu and Tahiti's Reynald Temarii, who were exposed by a Sunday Times investigation as having asked for cash in return for their World Cup votes.

The pair will be dealt with by FIFA's ethics committee on Wednesday, and the same body is to separately investigate whether at least two countries campaigning to host the 2018 and/or 2022 tournaments breached bidding rules by cutting a deal on votes.

Both the two men and the countries involved could be suspended by the ethics committee.

FIFA said in a statement: "FIFA has opened proceedings against two current members of the FIFA executive committee to ascertain whether they have violated the FIFA code of ethics, and has asked the chairman of the ethics committee to act without delay to take all possible steps, including the possibility of provisional measures, should the relevant conditions be met.

"Investigations are also ongoing in relation to other FIFA officials who may have been involved in the issue in question.

"FIFA also confirms that the alleged agreements between member associations would also be a clear violation of the bid registration document and the code of ethics.

"Therefore, an investigation has also been opened into the member associations in question as well as their bid committees.

"FIFA has again asked the chairman of the ethics committee to act without delay to take all possible steps, including the possibility of provisional measures, should the relevant conditions be met."

Rumours of collusion between a 2018 bidder and a 2022 hopeful last month prompted FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke to warn all countries that mutual voting deals are against FIFA rules.

The scandal has cast a bad light on the whole bidding process for the World Cups - England are bidding for 2018 against Russia, Spain/Portugal and Holland/Belgium while the 2022 tournament hosts will be from Australia, USA, Qatar, Japan and South Korea.

England 2018 are hoping there will be no backlash against their bid from FIFA members angry that an English newspaper had been investigating them undercover.

England had targeted Adamu as one of the crucial 'neutral votes' they needed to win the World Cup bidding contest.

Bid officials arranged for David Beckham to meet the Nigerian in Cape Town in November last year, and then Andy Cole and then former bid chairman Lord Triesman flew to Nigeria the following month to make a formal presentation to Adamu, a Manchester United supporter.

Adamu's vote was seen as vital in that he was one of four Africa FIFA members and no African nations can bid for either 2018 and 2022.