FIFA allegedly payed Ireland’s football association 5 million euros after Thierry Henry’s handball stopped Ireland qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, Irish football boss John Delaney has claimed.

The FAI mounted a legal case against FIFA after the blatant handball meant France won the 2010 World Cup playoff tie at Ireland’s expense.

“We felt we had a legal case against FIFA because of how the World Cup play-off hadn’t worked out for us with the Henry handball,” Mr Delaney told Ireland’s RTE Radio 1.

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“We came to an agreement. That was a Thursday and on Monday, the agreement was all signed and all done.

“It was a payment to the association to not proceed with a legal case.”

The FAI chief executive refused to confirm the reported figure of 5 million euros ($7.33 million AUD) because he was “bound by confidentiality”.

The handball incident divided the football world in 2009 when Henry’s clear handball set up William Gallas’ match winning goal in a play-off match in Paris. 

News of the settlement comes in the wake of the corruption scandal that’s decimating FIFA and a number of football associations around the world.

World Cup’s from France 1998 right up to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the upcoming 2018 and 2022 tournaments in Russia and Qatar have been clouded by alleged bribery, racketeering and fraud.

Irish players appeal to the referee after Henry’s handball led to a crucial play-off goal. Photo: Getty

Football Federation Australia’s own conduct in the bid for the 2022 World Cup has been called into question to, with $500,000 they gave to a football facility in Trinidad and Tobago reportedly finding its way to the disgraced Jack Warner.

Delaney said Blatter’s behaviour 11 days after the match had hardened his resolve over the matter of compensation.

“The way Blatter behaved, if you remember on stage, having a snigger and having a laugh at us…” he said.

“That day when I went in [to discuss the agreement], and I told him how I felt about him, there were some expletives used.”

Henry was derided as a cheat in the aftermath of the match at the Stade de France, which ended in a 1-1 draw that saw France win 2-1 on aggregate.

The FAI and the Irish government unsuccessfully petitioned world governing body FIFA for the game to be replayed or for Ireland to be admitted to the World Cup in South Africa as a ’33rd team’.

Henry, then with Barcelona, backed Ireland’s calls for a replay and declared himself “extremely sorry”, but rejected the accusation he was a cheat.

France went on to endure a disastrous World Cup, crashing out in the group phase after the players went on strike in protest at striker Nicolas Anelka’s exclusion from the squad for clashing with coach Raymond Domenech.

– with ABC