12 Mar 2009

FIFA boss wants single nation World Cup bids

10:20 am on 12 March 2009

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has reiterated his preference for single-nation bids for the 2018 and 2022 Football World Cups.

Spain and Portugal, as well as the Netherlands and Belgium have both submitted joint bids for thr upcoming tournaments but Blatter says FIFA made a decision in 2006 to favour single bids, after South Korea and Japan jointly hosted the 2002 World Cup.

He says in that instance there were sporting and political reasons to share it.

But FIFA found instead of one World Cup in two countries, it ended up being two World Cups in two countries, two organising committees and twice the expense."

Sepp Blatter says that any joint bids would only be accepted if one or both countries could also stage it alone.