Report: Putin 'played major role' in 2018 bid, gave UEFA president a Picasso

Nothing helps a country's World Cup bid quite like some assistance from its notorious president.

If previously unseen material published by the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee is to be believed, Russia's president Vladimir Putin played a "major role" in helping his country win the controversial bid for the 2018 World Cup.

According to the BBC, the claims included in the material were submitted by the Sunday Times newspaper, which outlined how executives from England's 2018 World Cup bid ran an intelligence-gathering operation against competing nations. A database of rumours and intelligence was assembled by private companies and British embassies.

The material claims Putin enlisted FIFA president Sepp Blatter to help lobby for votes and even gave UEFA president and voter Michel Platini a painting believed to have been done by Pablo Picasso.

Also mentioned in the material are detailed accounts of how votes were bought and sold building up to the poll, including allegations that Qatar's natural gas industry helped secure votes via bilateral trade deals.

Chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee John Whittingdale MP told the BBC he would like to hold talks with executives of the Football Association to discuss the contents of the database.