Sepp Blatter, former FIFA President, believes England should have hosted the World Cup before Saudi Arabia. He criticized the selection processes and expressed concerns regarding hosting in countries with human rights issues and the expansion of the tournament, questioning the quality of future events.
Sepp Blatter, the former FIFA President, stated that England deserved to host the World Cup before Saudi Arabia, especially prior to the next available opportunity in 2038. In an interview, he emphasized England’s significant contributions to football and lamented their continued efforts since 1966 without success in securing the tournament again. Blatter criticized the process leading to the selection of Saudi Arabia, implying that it was orchestrated to avoid opposition.
The FIFA Executive awarded the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia following an uncontested bidding process, while Spain, Portugal, and Morocco were selected as hosts for the 2030 tournament, which will include additional matches in South America. This decision has received criticism from climate activists due to potential emissions from international travel across three continents. Additionally, concerns were raised about hosting the tournament in Saudi Arabia considering its extreme climate and human rights record.
Blatter expressed concern over the increasing influence of the Middle East on sports, advocating for England to reapply to host the World Cup. Despite facing scrutiny for his past leadership, he reiterated that England should assert its candidacy to host the tournament again. He also voiced apprehensions about the expansion of the World Cup, citing that increasing the number of teams dilutes the quality of the competition.
The upcoming World Cup in 2026 will expand to 48 teams, a shift from the previous format of 32. Blatter feared that such expansions may lead to a decline in the event’s quality, questioning whether future tournaments could expand to even larger numbers of participants, similar to grand slam tennis. He encapsulated his concerns by stating that excessive growth could jeopardize the sport’s integrity.
In conclusion, Sepp Blatter contends that England should have been awarded the rights to host the World Cup prior to Saudi Arabia. He criticized the selection processes and expressed concern about the impacts of hosting events in nations with contentious human rights records. Furthermore, Blatter highlighted the dilution of tournament quality due to expansions and advocated for England to reapply for hosting in the future.
Original Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
