Players may face blood tests in hunt for World Cup dope cheats

World governing body FIFA will decide next week if blood testing is to be used at this summer's World Cup finals to detect dope cheats.

Dr Jiri Dvorak of FIFA's sports medical committee says blood tests are an option.

"We will discuss blood dope testing but we are largely in favour of the test largely due to the evolution of the last few weeks at the Winter Olympics."

"We said some years ago that we did not need blood control at that moment, I think now the moment has come to reconsider our position."

FIFA and its president Sepp Blatter want soccer to become a main feature of the Olympic Games and are keen to bring its doping policy in line with the IOC - a move resisted by some member associations.

FIFA' medical committee meet doctors from the 32 teams at the finals today to be followed by a March 7th meeting in Zurich.

FIFA general secretary Michel Zen-Ruffinen said:

"This is a full priority during the World Cup. All kinds of stimulation will be sanctioned very severely," he claimed.

Dope tests at training camps may be introduced with two players from each team chosen randomly for testing after each match.

Blood tests provide more accurate data and detect a much wider range of banned substances than the current urine-based dope testing procedures in place but masking agents can also be used to avoid detection by drug cheats.

In disciplinary measures Zen Ruffinen confirmed that single yellow cards from the first round of the tournament will not be carried over to the second stage but two yellow cards and any sending off mean a suspension will be served.