- Sepp Blatter has criticised FIFA over Saudi Arabia’s uncontested selection as the 2034 World Cup host
- The former FIFA president continues his legal battle to clear his name, calling the appeal against him “absolute nonsense”
- Blatter believes England should have hosted a World Cup before Saudi Arabia and has concerns over FIFA’s tournament expansion
Key Takeaways:
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has spoken out against the organisation’s leadership, criticising the process that awarded the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia. The Swiss official, who led FIFA until 2015 before being removed over corruption charges, questioned the transparency of the selection process.
“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.”
#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.#SportsNews https://t.co/ojucN5nRjl
— The Daily Star (@dailystarnews) February 25, 2025
Blatter, now 88, also addressed his ongoing legal battle, seeking to clear his name after his removal from FIFA nearly a decade ago. He labelled the latest appeal against him as “absolute nonsense” and expects the court to confirm its previous ruling in his favour.
The former FIFA president also raised concerns about the growing influence of the Middle East in global sports, including football and Formula 1. “It is worrying that this expansion from the East is affecting football and other closed, exclusive competitions like Formula 1” he said.
Blatter further criticised FIFA’s continued expansion of the World Cup, questioning the logic behind the increasing number of participating teams. “How many teams are there now, 40 or 50? Are we heading towards a situation like Grand Slam tennis tournaments, where 128 teams are invited? A World Cup where everyone plays?”
He warned that such changes could reduce audience interest. “I don’t like it, and I am certain that audiences will lose interest. FIFA will one day realise that it cannot endlessly expand matches, tournaments, and travel.”