BBC Sport Online: BBC Sport Online: Football: World Cup 2002

Fifa finds new cover

Japan's Yokohama Stadium hosts next summer's final

Football's world governing body was left searching for a new insurer after AXA announced it would be withdrawing its cover on 11 November.

US insurance operators National Indemnity Company will now provide cancellation cover for next summer's tournament.

AXA withdrew its cover in the aftermath of the New York terrorist attacks and the subsequent allied bombing campaign in Afghanistan.

Fifa always insisted there were no grounds for the withdrawal of the company's cover and says it has started legal action.

The new deal is a relief for the governing body - and for football in general. Negotiations were completed on Sunday night.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter said: "I'm delighted that in just a few days Fifa has managed to seal a new contract and that we can count on a strong insurance partner in an emergency."

A Fifa spokesman said no details of the new premium or whether the arrangement included cover against terrorist activity would be released at the moment.

AXA declined to comment on Monday. The French insurers said earlier this month that they hoped to reach a new agreement to cover the finals.

The value of the original AXA deal had been £590 million.