By Friday it is possible that FIFA could be running soccer in this country – and a whole raft of questions over the direction of the game, Australia's bids to host the Women's World Cup, even, in a most extreme scenario, the Socceroos participation at the World Cup in Russia next year could be up for debate.

As lobbying intensifies in the run up to an Emergency General Meeting called by the FFA for Thursday, there have been a number of extraordinary claims – including one that the Victorian government has lobbied Football Federation Victoria to support embattled chairman Steven Lowy in his bitter power struggle to retain his position in the sport.

It has also been alleged that Federal Sports Minister Greg Hunt told a Women in Football forum staged in Melbourne last week that if FIFA was in control of the Australian game then Australia will not be successful in mounting a bid to stage the 2023 Women's World Cup.

In September the Federal government had earlier warned that it might withhold $4 million in funding for the Women's World Cup bid if the row between the factions was not settled.