By John Revill
ZURICH (Reuters) – England should have won the hosting rights for the soccer World Cup before the next free date in 2038 and before Saudi Arabia which will hold the 2034 edition, former FIFA President Sepp Blatter said on Tuesday.
“England has done a great job for the game of football and they should be rewarded,” Blatter told Reuters. “They have tried since 1966 to get the World Cup back and it’s a shame they didn’t get it.
“They should have had it before Saudi Arabia, but it was organised in a very clever way so nobody was in opposition,” he said in an interview.
FIFA awarded the 2034 tournament to Saudi Arabia in an uncontested process in December, which also saw Spain, Portugal and Morocco chosen as the main hosts for the 2030 tournament combined with one-off matches in South America.
However, the decisions have come under fire, with the 2030 plan criticised by climate activists because of the increased emissions necessitated by the extra travel across three continents.
The 2034 bid by Saudi Arabia has been questioned by some in the game due to its desert climate and also been criticised by activists over the country’s human rights record, much in the same way as the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Saudi Arabia denies suppressing rights.
This left 2038 as the next available date for England to host its second World Cup after winning the tournament at home in 1966.
Blatter said he was concerned about the increased influence of the Middle East on sports like football and Formula 1, with both having been heavily invested in by countries in the region, but said England should still apply to host the World Cup.
“They should wake up and apply again,” the 88-year-old said.
Blatter, who left FIFA in disgrace following a corruption scandal in 2015, was also concerned about the expanding size of the World Cup, which he said was diluting the quality of the tournament.
Next year’s event in the United States, Mexico and Canada has been expanded to 48 teams, up from 32 at the 2022 edition.
“It’s become too big,” he said. “Will it become like in grand slam tennis where everybody goes to the World Cup? What next – 128 teams?
“I’ve always said there are too many teams and the quality is not the same,” Blatter added. “Who loses out – the spectators.”
He feared constant expansion could eventually damage the sport.
“As long as football has 2 billion followers, then FIFA thinks they are happy,” the Swiss said. “But one day there will be a stop – you cannot go and develop more football, and more players and have more money and more spectators and more stadiums.”
(Reporting by John Revill; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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