Blatter says awarding World Cup to Qatar, a mistake

Former president at world football governing body, FIFA, Sepp Blatter has said that the decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar was a mistake.

The 86-year-old, who was president of FIFA when Qatar was awarded the tournament in 2010, said he wanted the United States to win the bid at the time.

Ripples Nigeria recall that Fifa’s executive committee voted 14-8 for Qatar to host the tournament ahead of the United States, at the same time Russia was awarded the 2018 event.

“It is too small of a country. Football and the World Cup are too big for it,” Blatter told Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger.

Read Also: FIFA urges nations participating in Qatar World Cup to focus on football

“It was a bad choice and I was responsible for that as president at the time,” he said.

“Thanks to the four votes of [Michel] Platini and his [Uefa] team, the World Cup went to Qatar rather than the United States. It’s the truth.”

This statement is coming from the ex football chief at a time when Qatar is being criticised for its stance on same-sex relationships, human rights record and treatment of migrant workers, which have led to plans of protests by players.

Nevertheless, the Qatar World Cup, the first to be hosted in the Middle East in the tournament’s 92-year-history, is set to kick off on 20 November and end on 18 December.

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