FIFA's executive committee — currently reduced to 22 members after two were suspended earlier this month — will decide on Thursday the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Anson said he knew how many votes England had guaranteed for 2018 although he would not reveal the number.

"We're optimistic," he said. "We know we have a lot of work to do this week." "I know who's committed to supporting us and I know the votes we can get," he added.

"We have to work very hard over the next three days to make sure it comes to fruition. We may be underdogs but we can win it." England are up against Russia, Spain/Portugal and outsiders Belgium/Netherlands. "We've got three strong contenders and any of them can still win on Thursday. They're all good bids," said Anson.

He then returned to the subject of the BBC Panorama program, due to be aired on three days before the vote.

"Of course I'm disappointed with the timing and it's certainly not going to win any votes," Anson told reporters.

"We just have to see what happens tonight and move on. I won't be watching it, I've got other things to do." He added: "It's a reality, it's a small group of 22 people, in a way it's a brotherhood of executive committee members. If you hurt one of them, of course it has an impact on the others. That's just inevitable.

"I think we have to be aware of the implications and act accordingly. We'd be naive if we didn't think these things had an impact." Two executive committee members — Reynald Temarii and Amos Adamu — will miss the vote after being suspended following an investigation by the Sunday Times saying they offered to sell their votes for cash.

FIFA are still to decide on a request from the Oceania Football Confederation to replace Tahiti's Temarii for Thursday's vote.

The fall-out from the Sunday Times reporters and Monday's BBC documentary is regarded as the most serious threat to England's campaign.

Anson felt the decision to choose the 2018 and 2022 hosts together had given the contests a much more political edge, especially as eight members of the FIFA executive committee were from bidding nations.

He said: "Obviously, the strength of the bid is important but when you've got 22 people with two campaigns, who've got their own issues or agendas, or their own elections to worry about, of course politics are involved.

"For us, it's about understanding that and I think we've done a very good job in terms as a team in making sure we're aware of everything which is going on." Latest William Hill betting on 2018 World Cup hosts winner: Russia 8-11, Spain/Portugal 9-4, England 11-4, Belgium/Netherlands 40-1.

Meanwhile, renewed corruption allegations targeting FIFA executive members surfaced on Monday just days before they are due to appoint the hosts of football's 2018 and 2022 World Cups under the eyes of world leaders.

The Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger reported that Ricardo Teixeira of Brazil, African football chief Issa Hayatou and his South American counterpart Nicolas Leoz were tied to a secret list of payments from bankrupt FIFA marketing partner ISMM/ISL over a decade ago.

The firm collapsed in 2001 in a storm of controversy over alleged kickbacks for TV rights contracts, prompting a FIFA criminal complaint that was later dropped.

A court in the Swiss canton of Zug eventually handed down fines on three ISMM/ISL executives in 2008 for embezzlement or accounting offenses.

Leoz was already listed as a recipient of suspect payments from the marketing firm, alongside several companies based in offshore havens, in evidence presented by the Zug prosecutor in 2005.

All three long-standing executive committee members are among the 22 remaining top officials due to vote on Thursday on the World Cup hosts.

FIFA could not be reached immediately for a reaction.

World football chief Sepp Blatter has promised that a "new FIFA" would choose the 2018 and 2022 hosts and heralded the need for more change afterwards to adapt to the growing economic stakes in football.

British Prime minister David Cameron, Prince William, Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Qatari crown princes and former US president Bill Clinton were amongst the dignitaries expected to join final pitches by their bids in front of FIFA's executive committee on Wednesday and Thursday.

Meanwhile, David Beckham said Monday he hoped he could "make a difference" in England's bid to stage the 2018 World Cup.

The former England captain, who now plays for the LA Galaxy in the US-based Major Soccer League, is preparing for one final charm offensive in Zurich where FIFA, football's global governing body, will vote on the hosts for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups on Thursday.

Beckham, who made his name as a midfielder with Manchester United, was speaking Monday during a brief stop over in his home city of London where he was visiting the 2012 Olympic Stadium for the first time.

He was widely praised for his role in garnering the votes that helped London secure the Games in the run-up to the 2012 vote in Singapore five years ago.

Now English football chiefs are banking on the 'Beckham effect' when it comes to the World Cup bid as well.

"Hopefully I will make a difference," Beckham said. "There are many people, like Prince William, who have been involved and working hard for the bid and to get it to this final point.

"We are going to FIFA and a lot of delegates because we need to tell those people about why we feel it is the right thing for us to get the World Cup." But the bid process itself has been mired in corruption allegations that have led to the suspension of two members of FIFA's all powerful executive committee following an investigation by Britain's Sunday Times newspaper.

England, despite being the birthplace of football, has staged the World Cup just once - back in 1966 when they won the tournament for the only time.