Amos Adamu from Nigeria and Tahiti's Reynald Temarii, the two members of FIFA's 24-man executive committee who will decide on the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, were trapped by a Sunday Times undercover investigation asking for cash in return for their votes.

The pair appeared before the FIFA ethics committee today and were suspended "from all football activity" pending a final hearing next month.

The committee will also continue to probe rumours of collusion between two countries bidding for 2018/2022, something explicitly forbidden by the regulations.

FIFA chiefs have ruled out postponing the December 2 vote for the World Cup hosts - England are one of four bidders for the 2018 tournament with a further five contesting the 2022 vote.

Blatter told a news conference in Zurich: "It is a sad day for football because it's a sad day in life and you cannot have always sunny days.

"Our society is full of devils and these devils you find them in football. We have to fight for fair play, we have to fight for respect and especially we have to fight that the people in charge of FIFA behave as they should do and if this is not the case then we have to intervene.

"As the president of FIFA I appeal to and I expect all members not only of the FIFA executive committee but all members of the FIFA family to behave in an honest, sincere and respectful manner because football is based on discipline, respect, fair play and solidarity.

"We have the necessary tools to intervene when necessary and that is what we have done today."

Four other FIFA officials - Slim Aloulou, Amadou Diakite, Ahongalu Fusimalohi and Ismael Bhamjee - have also been provisionally suspended from taking part in any football-related activity.

Two are former executive committee members but Blatter was stung into insisting that FIFA was not corrupt.

He added: "I was a little bit surprised that you say is FIFA corrupt? FIFA is actually in the world of sport a well-recognised organisation and institution and if there are some activities that are against the ethics and the morals that's why the ethics committee came in."

The Sunday Times has provided all their evidence to FIFA - 90 minutes of footage and a full transcript - and further revelations are expected at the weekend.

FIFA ethics committee chairman Claudio Sulser added: "We are determined to have zero tolerance for any breach of the code of ethics."

The issue of collusion between two bidders - suggesting that one 2018 bidder cut a deal to share votes with another bidding for 2022 - remains outstanding.

All countries were sent a circular warning that such practices were against bid regulations.

"We had the information a few weeks ago saying it took place," said FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke.

"That's why said we should ask the ethics committee to start a case just to make sure that no one will be able to say the process and decision can be challenged because we have not done everything to make sure it's a fair and transparent decision for 2018 and 2022."

The ethics committee will reconvene in the middle of November but it is not clear if they will be replaced on the executive committee before the December vote if they lose their places permanently.