12 Fifa members don't know that Germany are world champions

The event began with an obligatory test of the voting process which revealed some rather surprising results

Fifa's Congress is taking place in Bahrain (AFP)

Fifa's Congress opened with 12 member federations appearing to not know who the current World Cup holders are.

The world governing body's 67th annual congress, taking place in Bahrain, will see a number of issues addressed with president Gianni Infantino speaking to the assembled members on several wideranging topics and votes cast on a number of key pieces of legislature.

The event began on Thursday with an obligatory test of the voting process which revealed some rather surprising results.

The members were asked a arbitrary question - who are the current world champions - with 12 appearing to not know that Germany current hold the World Cup having won in 2014 in Brazil.

Infantino, who replaced Sepp Blatter as head of Fifa in 2016, said the organisation is truly transforming itself.

"We are rebuilding Fifa's reputation after all that happened. We took over the organisation at it's deepest point," said Infantino, adding that there was no room for anyone who wanted to enrich themselves by "abusing football".

Several dozen football officials, mainly from Latin America, were indicted in the United States in 2015 on corruption-related charges, sparking the worst crisis in Fifa's history.

Infantino said criticism of the organisation under his leadership had not been fair, given improved transparency, controls and ethics procedures.

"There is a lot of fake news and alternative facts about Fifa circulating," he said. "Fifa bashing has become a national sport in some countries".

The Swiss administrator also made some barbed comments about some of his critics among governance experts after a week in which Fifa's Ethics heads were replaced.

"In the past many highly-paid experts, paid millions, have been hired by Fifa to help reform Fifa. Let me ask you, what did they do? They simply rubber stamped a sick and corrupt system.

"Where were all these self-proclaimed gurus and experts? They all miserably failed. I will, we will, not accept good governance lessons from any individuals who miserably failed to protect football," said Infantino.

While suggesting Fifa's internal experts had failed he offered praise for outside investigations, thanking "courts all around the world" who had prosecuted corruption cases.

"We need your help and we count on your help," he added, saying there was no place in his organisation for any wrongdoing.

"If there's anyone in this room or outside of this room who still thinks he can enrich himself, that he can abuse football, I have one clear and strong message to tell him: Leave football and leave football now. We don't want you."