Qatar 2022 officials have hit back at attacks surrounding their bid to host the World Cup, saying allegations of corruption are "baseless".
It had been reported earlier this month that the nation had paid officials a sum of around £3m to help secure the tournament.
Following the claims, World Cup sponsor Sony called on FIFA to investigate the matter further.
"This week the world should be watching Brazil, yet once again the focus will turn to Qatar as the media continues to attack FIFA's decision to award our country the World Cup in 2022," a statement on behalf of Qatar's Supreme Committee for 2022 said.
"This weekend we expect further attacks on Qatar and our successful bid to host the World Cup in 2022. These allegations are baseless and riddled with innuendo designed to tarnish the reputation of Qatar's 2022 Bid Committee.
"The constant stream of allegations that have been released to media outlets on the cusp of our interviews with the chairman of FIFA's Ethics Committee Investigative Chamber do not implicate our bid. They are instead a series of tenuous links that attempt to assume guilt by association."
Former Germany player Franz Beckenbauer was yesterday banned by FIFA from all football-related activity for 90 days in relation to alleged corruption in the organisation.
Daniel Lewis
