FIFA Votes to End World Cup Rotation
October 29th, 2007 . posted by admin
The World Cup will no longer be rotated among continents, a decision that throws open the race for the 2018 tournament.
South Africa already has been awarded the 2010 tournament and soccer’s governing body is expected to announce Brazil — the only candidate — as the 2014 host Tuesday.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter said Monday the executive committee rejected a proposal from CONCACAF that would have ensured the 2018 event going to the region representing North and Central America and the Caribbean.
“FIFA’s decision does not change our own commitment to try to bring the World Cup back to the United States,” U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati said. “I believe that a U.S. bid will be very competitive.”
South Korea and Japan shared the 2002 World Cup and Germany was the host in 2006.
“If you go back to 2002, and look at the recent history of rotation … it’s been Asia, Europe, Africa and with 2014 going to South America,” CONCACAF general secretary Chuck Blazer told The Associated Press. “I thought in all logic and fairness the next cycle should be CONCACAF. Regrettably, that did not carry the day.”
FIFA has been under heavy pressure to open the 2018 bidding to allow nations outside CONCACAF to host the tournament. The rotation system meant that after Colombia dropped out of the 2014 race and Brazil was left as the sole candidate. Blatter was upset more South American countries did not bid.
“Something was missing,” he said. “The competition was lacking, and football is competition.”
Countries belonging to the African and South American confederations will not be eligible to host the 2018 tournament because South Africa and Brazil will have hosted the two previous tournaments.
Those interested in hosting the 2018 World Cup include the United States, England, Russia, Australia, Spain, China, Mexico and a joint bid from the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
“Isn’t it nice?” Blatter said. “We have not yet played 2010; we have not yet awarded 2014. Yet we have all this interest in 2018.”
To avoid conflicts of interest involving FIFA executive committee members and countries bidding for 2018, Blatter said track great Sebastian Coe will oversee the process. Coe is the new chairman of FIFA’s ethics committee and the organizing committee chairman for the 2012 London Olympics.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was “delighted” FIFA opened the door for the World Cup to return to England.
“By 2018, it will be 52 years since England hosted the World Cup,” he said. “The nation which gave football to the world deserves to have the greatest tournament back on these shores.”
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Associated Press Writer Brian Trusdell in New York contributed to this report.
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Free Bet Man | November 4th, 2007 @ 6:11 pm | | |
Actually we have had the 2014 World Cup awarded. Just in case you didn’t know it has been given to five time Winner’s Brazil in what should be an absolutely brilliant footballing spectacle.
This whole roation scheme was supposed to be put in place so other continents rather than Europe and North / South America can host the most popular game in the World and now that has been binned. Yet again another brilliant move by Mr. Blatter, idiot!
mel | November 5th, 2007 @ 3:56 am | | |
bring it to australiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa plzzzzzz i’ll be ecstatic if aus ever host the world cup.. sorry to any fellow australians who hates soccer, u may **** OFF and dwell in ur footy. BUT to me, WORLD CUP is d most exciting thing, way better than footy…
Free Bet Man | November 6th, 2007 @ 2:49 pm | | |
I take it Mel you’re ’soccer’ fan then and that ‘footy’ is Aussie Rules?
Australia is well known for its expenditure in trying to bring the World’s greatest sporting events to the Country, after all Aus hosted the 2000 Olympics.
The FIFA committee look at the success of recent hosted events and I’m sure that because of Sydney’s brilliant hosting of the Games the governing body would look upon any bid favourably.
Good Luck.
arsenal_ftw | November 23rd, 2007 @ 1:11 am | | |
**** yes bring it to aus, i think we will get it one day, especially since the olympics were so well run
the only thing holding us back from hosting a world cup is that we sucked, but after world cup 06 and our awesome performances, australia just needs to stay consistent and make itself one of the bigger teams in the world, i mean weve only qualified for two world cups
this has to become a regularity i think
and i think it will, futures bright for the green and gold
CMON AUSSIE!
peace