Blatter (pictured right) attends most senior events involving FIFA but will leave the ceremonies on April 24 to his number two, Jérôme Valcke (left).

Valcke will oversee the draw, just as he did for the Beijing 2008 Olympics and the South Africa 2010 World Cup, and will hope not to be drawn into any more controversies following his notorious Brazil 2014 comments.

Other dignitaries attending include China's Zhang Jilong, chairman of the FIFA Organising Committee for the Olympic football tournaments and acting Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President.

Zhang took over as interim AFC boss after Mohamed Bin Hammam was banned for life last summer in the wake of the cash-for-votes scandal the previous year.

Ironically, his appearance at the Olympic draw comes a week after Bin Hammam's appeal against the ban is heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Other invitees include Andy Hunt, chief executive of the British Olympic Association (BOA) and Team GB Chef de Mission for London 2012, and Team GB men's and women's head coaches Stuart Pearce and Hope Powell, though there is no indication that any players who could be selected, such as David Beckham, are likely to be paraded.

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