Arab world deserves World Cup, says Blatter

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Saturday that Qatar could well become the first World Cup hosts from the Arab world.

In Doha to attend a domestic club cup final, Blatter said he was impressed by Qatar’s rapid rise as a major sporting destination in the region and the fact that the gas-rich country has dramatically improved its infrastructure in the past few years.

“The Arab world deserves the World Cup and Qatar has a good chance to become the first country from the region to host it,” Blatter told a news conference.

Blatter said he was impressed by all the new development in Qatar, one of the countries bidding to host the 2022 World Cup.

“I’m a regular visitor to Qatar and every time I land here I am impressed by all the development,” he added.

Qatar successfully hosted the Asian Games in 2006 and will stage the 2011 Asian Cup and Blatter said it proved it had the credentials to hold any tournament.

“The Asian Games is a big event in which men and women compete in 30 different sports and the fact that Qatar hosted it successfully means its organisational abilities cannot be questioned,” he said.

He said that Qatar’s low world ranking will not be an issue when it comes to the FIFA executive committee vote to decide the hosts for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in December this year.

“A country’s ranking in world football is of no consequence in the bidding process,” said Blatter.

“What matters are the guarantees the bidding country has to offer and on that count I have no doubt that Qatar will put on the table all that is needed to host the event.”

Blatter also played down his spats with Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohamed bin Hammam.

“Mohamed and I have a healthy respect for each other,” he claimed. “I will be meeting him during the Heir Apparent’s Cup final and sitting on the same bench.”

However, the FIFA chief said his first task was to deliver a successful World Cup in South Africa in June and July.

“The World Cup in South Africa is my World Cup. I wanted the World Cup to go to Africa and I have to see it through. The international media, especially in Europe, are watching me.”

And what does he plan to do after the World Cup is done with?

“I will take a few weeks’ rest in Greenland,” Blatter said. “You won’t believe it but Greenland too plays football.”