By DAN KARELL
Soccer’s public enemy No. 1 is leaving the building.
In a stunning announcement, FIFA president Sepp Blatter revealed that he will step down, and called for the FIFA Executive Committee to schedule an extraordinary congress in the coming days to elect a new president.
“I have thoroughly considered my presidency and thought about my presidency and the last 40 years of my life,” Blatter said at a hastily scheduled press conference in Zurich, Switzerland. “These years were closely related to FIFA and this wonderful sport of football. I appreciate and love FIFA more than anything else and only want to do to the best for football and FIFA, our institution.”
The wild turn of events comes just four days after Blatter won a fifth-term as FIFA president in the face of a corruption scandal. Last Wednesday, Swiss authorities in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice arrested seven FIFA officials and later the DoJ unsealed an indictment against 14 individuals, nine of them FIFA officials.
In his parting words, Blatter called for reforms to FIFA’s structure, many of which he fought against during his time in the association.
“The executive committee has to be looked into to and the members have to be elected by the FIFA Congress,” Blatter suggested, adding later that Domenico Scala will implement these reforms. “We also need a limitation on mandates and terms of office, not only for the president but for all members of the executive committee.”
FIFA has been under intense pressure in the last few days to answer questions regarding allegations of corruption by numerous current and former FIFA officials. Blatter, secretary general Jerome Valcke, and the association had deflected any allegations of wrongdoing but it seems that Blatter couldn’t survive the latest round of pressure, which alleges that Valcke knew of, or should have known of, money transferred to CONCACAF that was used as part of a bribe.
According to multiple reports, there needs to be at least four months to prepare and plan for a FIFA extraordinary congress, so the soonest that the FIFA congress could meet is in October.
What do you think of this news? Did you ever think this day would come?
Share your thoughts below.
glad to see the crook resign. Next, jail time please.
Chicharito for FIFA president or at least committee bench….who’s with me?
So folks,…this IS a case where it would be wise to throw the baby out with the bath water. Complete overhaul. Everyone out. Everyone.
I’m starting the official campaign to draft Kyle Beckerman as FIFA president. Who’s with me? Come on, you know you’d love nothing more than to see those dreads in a suit at a podium.
lol… unfortunately, with FIFA headquarters being in europe and all, Kyle would have to be multilingual… Kyle speaks english and maybe jamaican? “ya mon”
really… forget about 2022, let Australia have it… WC 2026 should come to the US. by then we will be celebrating the birth of a nation 250 years ago… what a way to win the whole thing in our backyard…..
the new FIFA should accept the permanent WC rotation below. This guaranty no more than 8yrs wait for Europe and The Americas.
-EUFA
-Conmebol/Concacaf
-AFC/ACF/Oceania
You mean 12 years if you rotate it:
-EUFA
-Conmebol/Concacaf
-AFC/ACF/Oceania
Heard just now that the FBI is indeed investigating Sepp Blatter, according to ABC news. A word of caution to Sepp as he contemplates either staying around or getting out of Dodge:
Don’t let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner.
Sepp added:
“In my last months as acting president, it will be my utmost priority to eliminate corruption and bribery…. or rather…. all evidence of such. Toward this, my office will now dedicate each waking moment in a feverish effort toward shifting funds/accounts, shredding files and eradicating the paper trail from existence as well as destroying all hard drives, electronic documents and/or emails which might contain incriminating information. I can assure you with utmost confidence, that any indication of even the word bribe or corruption will seize to exist within FIFA by the time I relinquish my position.”
ding ding ding
Translation: “They’ve got me. I’m screwed. I need to resign to work on my legal defense.”
He is not leaving until he picks a successor next year.
Ali Bin al-Hussein will most likely be the next president and there is no way he’s moving the wc away from Qatar.Actually, I doubt anybody would ve stupid enough to do it.
Why is he likely the next president? Surely other will run. And why is moving the WC from Qatar, where it can’t be played in summer or without thousands of migrant workers dying, stupid?
The WC has already been moved to winter so that’s not an issue. Ali-bin al-Hussein will most likely be the next president because he had more support against Blatter than anybody ever had. He’s the logical replacement.
Moving the WC won’t stop the workers from dying. Keeping it there is the only way we can push for changes that will save lives. Moving it and forgetting about them would be tragic, stupid and narrow minded.
If the workers are working on the stadia for the WC, moving it will save some. Prince Ali got support from the anti-Blatter factions because he was the only non-Blatter candidate. Other candidates dropped out because it was clear Blatter would win and others who decided not to even bother could consider running now. Plus, I’m sure pretty much everyone would rather the WC be in summer like it’s supposed to be and like Qatar said it would be when they bid. Let’s move this thing and do it quick! To the US preferably but Australia, Japan or South Korea are great too. I’d love to go to a WC in any of those places.
You certainly live in your own made world.
How about the fairly basic concept that criminals shouldn’t be rewarded for their crimes?
Let these bastards lose all the money they’ve put into this. They deserve it.
If they so much as squeak, you pull their sanctioning
well said. No wonder you’re the best player on our team.
dude, UEFA HATE that the WC has been moved to winter… they would do anything to move it back to summer. And since it is really simple to use already built US stadiums… there is literally no reason not to… and about $100M (you know 70LBs that would be lost from pausing the season) reasons to switch it.
I am saddened to think of all that cats that will now not be stroked by our favorite Bond villain.
Not good enough.
The entire corrupt, opaque, and unjust mechanism needs to be dismantled so that these third-world kleptocracies can’t install the next pig
Imparative is correct….this bastard is either being indicted soon or more sponsors threatened to drop out. I bet FBI found something on him and he was told step down or be in serious trouble / plea deal.
The FBI does not cut deals like that. They want scalps. If Blatter’s resigning, it’s because he knows they have the goods and now he has to run.
Those claiming Blatter is about to head for a non-extradition country are likely very correct…because the FBI is not just simply going to drop this now that Blatter’s resigned. They’re going to keep coming until they either have him or he runs…or dies of old age. Witness what they did to Lance Armstrong.
This isn’t over…not for Blatter, not for Valcke, not for a lot of the cronies involved in the money trail. I’m not even convinced somebody like Platini is safe…especially if Qatar bought him, as a lot of people suspect.
I suspect we’re going to see just a whole boatload of people rolled up this summer. Which might well include Blatter himself. I strongly doubt he actually lasts until December.
The sad part is that they would probably still be sitting high and mighty in their corrupt thrones if they had not given the Cup to Qatar.
instead it was their arrogance in awarding it to them that got them the drop. some poetry in that imo
It’s funny, his resignation statement reads like “Remember all that stuff I promised I would do? That seems too hard, so I’m just going to quit” Not only that, him saying the reforms will be too much work takes away the obvious association of him with these scandals. He probably had a lot more to do with the money laundering and racketeering than he wanted us to believe (to put it mildly).
U.S.A. U.S.A. We did it.
Anyone think Figo will try to run?
Nobody trusts Figo and for good reason.
FOR VALHALLA
Don’t get too excited. Platini will probably get the presidency and nothing will have changed.
True he pushed for Qatar even more then Blatter.
I dont want to see the World Cups moved. There was corruption for the previous World Cup voting, obviously, a big part of why Blatter left today.
Leave em be (unless the human rights violations cause it to move from Qatar)
US will get one very soon, because it IS the best place to hold it.
Not soon enough. Let’s move the 2022 WC ASAP either here or Australia.
It’ll go China if it goes anywhere. But I doubt they move it.
Why would it go to China? They didn’t even bid.
Because China is the world’s largest economy, and they sure maintain order over there.
Slow, like the guy said, if human rights were violated, move it. Otherwise, let it stay in Qatar.
Also, how about the case of Russia – you know a country that attacked it’s neighbor and a country where racism and homophobia are both ok
You mean like the US who attacked Iraq on made up reasons and made a habit of setting up coups for leaders they didn’t like in Latin America/Africa/Asia through the 80’s.
How abut the racist chanting in Italy/Spain?
It takes a special type to shed a tear that a mass murdering tyrant like Saddam was removed. Given that set of values, I can see why would you object to sanctioning a similar fascist dictator like Putin.
Drew, there is no need to be so “in your face.” I am sure Anthony is not one of Saddam’s sympathizers and does not endorse mass murder. The critical point with Russia is that they invaded their neighbor and annexed part of its territory. Although the US has been involved in a number of conflicts recently (perhaps even unwisely), we are not trying to annex territories and make them part of the US as Russia did with the Crimea and tries to do with the rest of Ukraine.
It pains me to agree with a person calling themselves Eurosnob, but I have to here 🙂
First and foremost, I cannot stand Putin. He is a power hungry, sociopath. That being said, some of the things that people accuse Russia of doing, they do not accuse their friends of doing:
1) Invading a country under false pretenses: Iraq and Ukraine. Honestly people. the former Ukrainian leader, though not as bad Saddam, was corrupt and abused human rights as well
2) Racist chanting/racism: Italy, Greece
3) Homophobia: more countries than I can count.
Really, you are comparing US as a country to Russia?!?!?!? The biggest problem with US is having people who would go out of their way with silly views just to go overboad with political correctness
Listen, is the US a better place to live than Russia? Yes
However, do I think people are hypocritical about their reasoning. If you want to discus suppression of human rights within Russia then make that argument. If you are going to talk racism and homophobia, there are other countries with similar problems. Attacking a country under false pretenses (Iraq) Actually, more people were killed in Iraq than in Ukraine.
Again, I cannot stand Russia (no offense), but look at it with an objective eye.
WAIT NOOOO, the argentines are talking about pulling the 2016 Copa America… WHAT?!? NOOOO
The Argentines??? It’s rumoured that it might be cancelled in general since most of the bribe money that revolves around the investigation is tied to Copa America 2016.
Also, the europeans don’t want their players wasted in something that’s not really important.
LoL
You speak of “The Europeans” as if they are one unified entity. FAR from the case- with much of anything it’s near impossible to get them to agree. Blatter overplayed his hand with a Winter WC though. Taking billions out of the coffers of the worlds biggest, most profitable, influential leagues is about the ONE thing you could get these nations to come together against and was the thing that took him down.
yes, but my understanding is that Argentina is driving the push to cancel… why I don’t know. Also, why would they cancel the event, rather than simply re-auctioning off the various rights?
A very sad day for Tonga where football is really starting to grow as it is in all the south pacific. I doubt the US or Europeans will care anything about the grow of the beautiful game in the islands.
Exactly.
The backlash will be especially hard for CONCACAF and Africa, which supported Blatter the most (and he championed and developed football greatly there).
No more development centers and FIFA-sponsored pitches. Forget about seeing something like Tahiti competing in big events. World Club Cup is, of course, gonna go the way of the dodo.
African Cup of nations and Asian cups played without European-based players. CONMEBOL and CONCACAF joined together with only 6 spots for the ‘world’ Cup.
Football in Japan, China, Korea, slowly dissppearing into amateur status again.
All gonna happen folks, and all because the USA threw a tantrum after having to wait to host a World CUp.
Idiot.
Jack Warner, is that you?
You might be sarcastic, but that is my concern too actually.
Already every big country out there is saying we will do the World Cup now.
They need the inclusive without the corruption.
I’m not being sarcastic. I don’t support corruption or bad deals… but in this case, I fear we will eventually miss what we had for momentarily gain.
For all the sh*t that came up with the FIFA scandal, I just see millionaires stealing from each other at the top, but, opposite from how the ‘real’ world works, the status quo was more or less balanced, and it was starting to show (less and less European teams making it to the knockout rounds as WCs went on)
It’s all gonna go backwards. I don’t champion Blatter, but I understand those who did, because he used his position for balancing stuff.
The US would have gotten WC 2026 anyway if we didn’t stir the pot that much. Heck, FIFA authorizing Copa America Centenario was a way of compensation… but noooo, we’re entitled to everything!
So without officials getting huge bribes football will regress in much of the world? Huh?
He is trying to say that the bribery system funneled huge amounts of cash into poor countries… which is true. But he is wrong in thinking that sudden;y FIFA won’t budget money… someone is still going to have to get the votes of the constituent members, after all
Those countries have a much better chance of getting the money that will come out of the World Cup now. They often did not actually see the money or benefits such as training centers and whatever else because the officials who were supposed to make sure that stuff happened took the money for themselves. That is how these crooks are getting caught. Only part of the dirty culture has to do with bribing to get World Cup as there has been concern with over 2018 and 2022. The officials who govern the FAs of the African, Caribbean, etc. have gotten fat while the people they were supposed to be serving were not getting what was supposed to be coming. That is where Blatter comes in to this since he is the one who allowed these criminals to take whatever they wanted in return for an understanding that they would continue to vote for him and keep him in power.
Also, nationality-switching is probably gonna be abolished, so we best enjoy our German-Americans while we can.
We can only hope. What makes you say that?
European nations annoyed that they wasted resources to improve others’ player pool.
Let us know when you find some evidence to support the things you are claiming.
Slow, scared to lose those mercenaries?
Jochen, you make wild claims with very little proof… what evidence have you?
History!
See football from 1930 to 1970
Why does Blatter resigning means football automatically goes back to 1930? I doubt that happens because football makes a whole lot more money today than it did in 1930!
You mean like when the USA finished 3rd in the World Cup?!?!
Or 1950 when a Haitian born Joe Gaetjens scored the winning goal against England in the World Cup, but in 1953 represented his native Haiti?!?!?!
Seems FIFA was far more lax about player movement back then, then they are now.
Jochen,
You do know that switching teams was EASIER before. Straight through the early 80’s.
Yeah, that $10 million paid to Warner really helped CONCACAF youth soccer. I would not be surprised if many of the payments that went to undisclosed recipients in Africa and Asia followed a similar path as the funds that ended up in Warner’s accounts.
+1
+1 That bribe money could’ve been put to good use in Caribbean football. Wouldn’t be surprised if CAF and AFC officials were caught ripping off their own countries’ football programs, too. They were merely used as Blatter’s political tools to keep him in power.
bingo
When the majority of the open corruption ends for good, legit leadership will put in place metrics to make sure that the money gets spent on actual development and not greasing the palms of local officials.
Profligate corruption is hella expensive and inefficient. FIFA absolutely must rid itself of it for the good of the game. The money will still get dispersed, much more efficiently.
I don’t see why reinvestment in the membership has to end nor do I see why things that FIFA does right has to end. If Tonga needs soccer fields, then the organization can give them the money to build them but just as long as the pro-forma is complete and the money is given for the precise amount of the project with no slush to buy future votes.
I would like to see a criteria put in place that requires host nations to demonstrate how the facilities will be used after the games. A stadium in Manaus should have never happened but the conspiracy theorists will tell you that the Amazon logging industry needed the infrastructure to continue their work. If you propose a stadium without a plan to use it after, then that city should not host.
I am all for keeping restrictions on player movement in place. No one argues that. What I do not want are bribes to buy WC wins or bids. Transpency.
This is awful. Darkest day for football.
Well boys, hope you enjoyed the World Cup while it lasted, cause you will only see the Euro every 2 years from now on.
huh?
I think you’re being sarcastic? If not, have you heard of the Hillsborough and Heysel stadium disasters?
He is just trolling. The opposite was the risk of fracturing the world in World Cup.
Blatter’s term just lasted 4 days. But, the election is until this December-March, so we’ll still see his ugly mug until then. It just makes me want to ask more questions. What was it that made Blatter step down? What reforms does he want to implement? What will UEFA decide on Saturday knowing this? Who will be the next leader to lead FIFA? I’m still waiting to find out what exactly the U.S. authorities will uncover in their investigation. Blatter’s out, but he should expect the worst if the authorities find this corruption leading to him.
I imagine Sepp is reviewing his list of non-extradition treaty countries for retirement…
On a serious note, WC 2022 is definitely back on… but what about WC 2018? I could see that changing and going to England too.
Finally, I think his resignation had more to do with rumors of UEFA US Brazil and Argentina leaving FIFA altogether than the long arm of Team America, World Police. Er… I mean the DOJ.
Nuts, World Cups aren’t changing hands no matter who’s president.
MLSSnob…
UEFA are really pissed off about Qatar and changing schedules… if it moved to the US and their schedules didnt change… it would be fine. Plus, Blatter made the bribery deal… not Bin Hammam or Platini. They won’t keep it there..
They’ve changed before.
For sure in Columbia ’86.
Also, for 2018… I realized the other day that there was a whole new angle to Putin’s Ukraine invasion… I mean, I think he was thinking that an invasion and using Ukraine’s stadiums (already built for the Euros) would be cheaper than building 10 stadia… given what the Olympics cost him.
Columbia? LLLOOOOLLLLLL!!!!!!!! Do you mean Colombia? Come on, Man. LLOOLLL!!!!
yes… Colombia… damn autocorrect!
Didn’t think it was THAT funny but ok. Lol
And you guys thought I had forgotten all about you!
It’s been a good, man. Kept that SOB in office for seventeen glorious years. All good things must end. Welp, back to helping my ISIS homies.
a good run*
Damn these satanic sausage fingers.
Great news! He probably saw the writing on the wall.
Actually El Paso and Juarez have decided to join powers and money to bring back Juarez Cobras. They will play in division2 of Mexico and try to win promotion and bring back D1 to Juarez.
They sound serious and if they got money and buy players just like the teams who win promotion, then will win promotion sooner than later.
Juarez is a top 5 soccer market in Mexico, due to El Paso tx and the economy.
Tijuana is the new Juarez but Juarez will not lose the fight, especially since Juarez has seen how Tijuana has taken full advantage.
As for El Paso tx, we need an NASL team or USL team to play at the chihuahuas stadium or at Cohen stadium.
El Paso tx is dying for a soccer team.
http://nortedigital.mx/oficial-regresa-cobras-de-ciudad-juarez/
Check that out if you can read Spanish.
It all comes back July 🙂
Can’t wait, the Tijuana vs Juarez game in the league cup will be a rivalry game.
They stole our plan and philosophy.
Play in Estadio Olympico de Benito Juarez? Hope for some cross border matches in El Paso.
Juarez cobras will play at Estadio Benito Juarez, a short 10 ten minute drive from the main cross bridge in El Paso tx-Juarez.
They begin play in July and will try to win promotion but this ownership group sounds serious, they are loaded with money and have a billionaire in the ownership group.
Juarez chihuahua is a top 5 soccer market in the Mexico.
If you combine El Paso tx and Juarez chihuahua as a soccer market, you can easily sell out a 20,000 every game.
There’s tons of money between both cities and both are modern cities with modern people.
Ding dong the Witch is gone! Thank goodness, let the house cleaning and then healing begin!
That is weird.
Someone must have pulled him aside and told him to leave or he is going to spend the rest of his life in jail.
He’s too smart, it was all planned, just too smart.
He needed time to hide his money, condos around the world, call all his mistresses and of course, call his friends to make it official.
Crying tears of joy.
You have to suspect this guy doesn’t resign unless someone (Warner? Valcke? other) was willing to produce a smoking gun.
Now, let’s hope that a leader does NOT emerge who is a more efficient kleptocrat.
Looks like John Oliver is going to have drink that bud light lime and everything on the McDonald’s dollar menu.
Oliver isn’t bound to that since the sponsors didn’t really force him out…at least not publicly.
Mitt Romney would be a good choice to help reform FIFA.
“Boom,” goes the dynamite!
You mean the guy that was involved with the bribery riddled Salt Lake City Olympics.
No, he wasn’t: they brought him in to clean up that scandal. History dude, read it.
Ok..my bad
This is very interesting. I’m wondering if some of those already charged are beginning to provide evidence against Blatter in exchange for leniency. He will probably disappear to somewhere from which he can’t be extradicted.
I had the exact same thought… 🙂
Bingo!
word.
USA does it again, USA USA USA USA . Yes we can!!!!!
Obama should go out and say, ” Another day America should be proud for and World Cup 2022 in USA is now inevitable.”
USA USA USA USA !!!!!!
Plus today cosmos in Cuba 🙂
Garber, plan A is back on the table, year 2022 is coming sooner than later.
I have to wonder if this is some sort of move by Blatter to designate a successor who will carry on business and usual?
We need someone like gulati or garber there, or some bad ass intelligent American to win the seat.
The new nba commissioner should be an example. Look at MLB going young and modern as well but not someone like nfl commissioner.
Like there aren’t clean, intelligent non-Foreigners who do not know more about soccer/football. I cannot stand Americans who are so American-focused almost as much as I can’t stand the Euro-centric snobs.
…and CHUCK BLAZER people! We don’t have a very large soapbox to stand on. Plus, lets be real, we are newbies to this.
Either (a) he’s about to be indicted, (b) the sponsors had a “come to Jesus,” or (c) he wanted to get re-elected to keep Al Hussein from being uncontested and then open it up in a special election where Platini and others might compete.
He knew it all the way, I had a feeling he would quit after hiding all his assets and mistresses.
I put blatter at the same level of Osama, Castro, Isis, hitler and FBI never noticed until USA didn’t get the World Cup.
It’s took 24 years according to USAs government. 24 freaking years, MLS was not even born.
Guys… it was bad writing… it was a 24 year conspiracy. It was not a 24 year investigation.
I vote a). Either that, or he’s working a deal with those in custody to keep him from being indicted.
I am thrilled by this news but just because he is gone, doesn’t mean that things will get better. We have to fix the entire system and clean house of everyone. First on the agenda is stripping Qatar of the cup not for bribing to get it but for the hundreds of worker deaths. That should be justification enough. If the Gulf States withdraw from the Congress in response, let them go.
Agreed, first thing I thought of when I saw that there was going to be a “special elections”. I just hope everything is on the up and up.
You’re only making the problem worse if you add a fracturing organization not including all soccer nations to the corruption problem. The positive beneath this all is it is give or take some Gibraltars a “world” cup.
I actually think the first thing on the agenda for the newly elected leader will be to form the FIFA bank. You wonder why the vatican has its own banking system… until you see this FBI investigation… Now FIFA knows what the church found out 1,000 years ago. If you have to use another person’s bank… you are vulnerable.
LOL!
LOL!
And the towns people rejoiced!
USA 2022 – Sunil for FIFA President!
is he going to run?
How i’m feeling right now…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4UqMyldS7Q
Great song and totally apropos. Although, the day is still young. Sepp could still use his AK.
ding dong the witch is dead! The witch is dead. The wicked witch is dead!! – sung in my best munchkin voice!
I actually thought that Blatter committing suicide was a more likely outcome. His resignation is definitely the preferred option though.
Sepp Blatter has left the building. I thought this day would never come.
2022 WC in the USA!!
I, for one, hope it is in Australia. They have the infrastructure and they are safe. I don’t understand how Americans want the world cup when we only had it 20 years ago. England had it 50 years ago, Canada has never had it, Mexico had it before we had it, Colombia had there’s taken. How about China? Argentina hasn’t had it since 78.
Give it Australia. ..it will make a nice vacation
All those are pipe dreams. UEFA will take over and you won’t see the ‘world’ in the World Cup anymore. Euro 2018, followed by Euro 2020, then Euro 2022. Maybe the US will be guests a couple of times for the policing services granted, but not welcome afterwards.
Jochen… its not UEFA by its lonesome. The US is the second biggest soccer market in the world… in terms of FIFA, not club game… but the point is well taken that Tonga will not have quite the same gravy train.
Australia is fine but you really can’t understand why Americans want the world cup in America?
Cause we gotta own everything!
– President Monroe
I UNDERSTAND why they want it, but on issue of fairness, the US should not have it s soon when other countries have a better case.
I could deal with Canada. They’ve got the infrastructure, and summer weather in Canada is great for soccer…whereas Houston or Jerry-world in Dallas in the summer isn’t that far off Qatar. If you’re looking for new markets, there you go.
The point is, it’s been since 1994 since CONCACAF had a tournament…and it will be, at the earliest, 2022 (if Qatar gets stripped) before it’s even an option. If FIFA had just stuck to its promised rotational system…but oh, no, as Sepp Blatter’s parting shot, he voted to allow Europe to bid on 2026…for which America would have likely been a slam-dunk, since both Asia and Europe would have been out. Somehow I suspect the Euro powers will have very little interest in re-addressing that particular vote despite the fact that it took America to get Blatter out. Gratitude has a short half-life.
But CONCACAF is under-represented, regardless. When three of its four teams made it out of group, and lowly Costa Rica did it ahead of England and Italy, there’s a definite case that CONCACAF is not getting its due. Like North America or hate it, economically and in terms of population North America is as big as Europe…and I don’t think Europe would be happy hosting one tournament every 32 years…in fact Europe decided they weren’t even going to wait eight years.
just two weeks ago Blatter was appeasing Concacaf by banning Europeans from bidding on 2026.. but due to developments of last week there is no way he wants nothing to do with Sunil and concacaf.
Europe should demand a rotation where they’re guaranteed to get it every 8 years and The Americas are guaranteed of having every 12 years…
revenues from EU and North America combined with talent from South American countries is what FIFA World Cup is all about.
The rotation was not scrapped as far as I know. He kept it Europe every 8 years (I think it should be 12 (every 3rd World Cup) until he made an exception for Brazil.
1998 – Europe (France)
2002 – Asia (Korea/Japan)
2006 – Europe (Germany)
2010 – Africa (South Africa)
2014 – S.America (Brazil)
2018 – Europe (Russia)
2022 – Asia (Qatar)
2026 – Probably Europe (NA)
Anthony… can you explain why anyone has a better case than the US for 2022?
or why it would be fair to not send it to the US?
I mean, my Turkmen Children could certainly hold a wonderful world cup… and it is quite nice here at night in the summer. But we don’t have a fairness reason to hold the cup!
Move to 2022 WC out of Qatar? But think of all of the migrant workers who will have died in vain under horrible and oppressive working conditions. I think the WC should remain in Qatar as a testament to those who labored in oppressive conditions and sacrificed their lives so the world can watch a few men play a game in the middle of the desert.
because USA recently held the World Cup in 1994. Australia, Canada, China all have existing infrastructure and are all safe countries. None of them have hosted it. It was supposed to be in Asia, so keep it in Asia.
Please ….Just shut up!!!!!
Nice retort there…winner!
More self-loathing Americans.
The U.S. deserves it. Came in second, fair and square, busted all these corrupt dudes, have all the infrastructure. Bam.
Slow,
I know your are not talking to me. A self-loathing American is something I am not. I would gladly take arms to defend this country and have gotten into physical altercations defending America when I lived abroad when I was younger.
I have more military and ex-military friends than I can count. I lost one, another friend lost a brother in Iraq, I consoled another whose younger brother had to ship off to active duty in Afghanistan, and had 2 more who saw active duty. I also lost a cousin in a military accident when I was a kid.
Trust me, nothing self-loathing here. HOWEVER, I cannot stand people who do not look at all sides of an issue. When people ask questions, I gladly answer. I still stand by what I said, I can think of other countries that should have it beside the US (e.g. China, Canada, Australia) at this present time. The whole process was tainted so do it again, if not give to a place that has never had it before with the ready made infrastructure.
Classical, ad hominem attacks.
Australia,seriously Australia. What the F are you saying. USA and the FBI stepped and said, ” you wanna play dirty then we can also play dirty,”
USA made it happen after years or FIFA corruption.
It’s time to make plans for 2022 garber and company.
USA and FBI made it happen, nobody tried to get this dictator.
Just like my professor told me in college,
Corruption and terrorist are alike, it’s a mental disease that will never die.
Money and guns are to best friends.
You do know that an American (Chuck Blazer) was the fat pig who got caught with his hands in the cookie jar and spilled the beans. He and Werner were among the dirtiest. The US was involved in Bribery in the 2002 Utah Olympics Games. Do not be surprised that the some other US parties was involved in bribery over the past 20 years. Like the FBI said (that includes the World Cup 94).
Doesn’t change the fact that it is was the FBI and DOJ that took action when others wouldn’t.
THIS!!!
You really think this will change anything? The only reason the FBI got involved was because Americans were involved. This will just lead to FIFA freezing out Americans from participating in high levels of FIFA ever again.
JCC, it already has changed things…finally. and of course they got involved because it involved Americans, on many levels, both on the inside getting over and those on the outside getting screwed
No, they got involved because an American (Chuck Blazer) was guilty of MASSIVE tax evasion and the idiots used US bank accounts for their money laundering and bribery (thus giving US Fed Courst jurisdictions). They were morons and deserve what they get.
I still don’t understand why Jack Werner and his cronies did not use off-shore accounts in the Bahamas, or Bermuda. So many people hide or keep money there (e.g. Romney and hedge funds) and they have great track records.
Amen. Nobody else was going to do it. All the other countries in the world turned a blind eye for how long?
Australia would make a great host, but weren’t they the first bidder eliminated? Having said that, I would not have had a problem if any of the bidders, except Qatar hosted. Qatar’s bid looked like a joke, until they won. As for Mexico, Mexico already hosted twice so they probably won’t host it in the near future.
USA need this, USA captured blatter.
MLS and USA soccer fans need this.
MLS needs 2022 and our fans are dying for this.
Do you have any idea what a World Cup would do for MLS and the US.
By 2022 MLS might have 26 teams with Miami, NYC, LA2 in their own stadium and if USA gets the World Cup in 2022, then that might provoke garber to create and MLS2.
Everyone is assuming that Qatar will lose the 2022 FIFA WC right now – I wouldn’t be so sure until it actually happens.
And if it does – revote on the existing bids. Done deal.com
Yep, a LOT of palms got greased and those doing the greasing still expect to get what they paid for. That is, unless … the majority are in jail (or at least out of a position of influence).
The most likely scenario I’d expect to see if Qatar doesn’t get WC 2022 is for FIFA to be dismantled up and replaced.
If you’re basing your judgement on Australia being the first one eliminated, you’re approving of the selection process. Your argument is running circles around you.
Australia received a total of 1 vote, which shows lack of support. Although the process was clearly tainted, I don’t believe that 21 of 22 voters took bribes from Qatar. I am not approving the process, but lack of support for Australia’s bid, when compared to other bidders (not just Qatar) is striking.
..however, you don’t know what was involved in the process so anything you see could be flawed.
For example, we all know the process is in rounds and at each stage, but you don’t know if part of the agreement involved voting out certain countries who have infrastructure, but have never hosted it early to eliminate competition from emerging markets etc.
All he is saying is that you cannot use support or lack of support in a process to argue one way or another because all the evidence is tainted (fruit of the tainted/poisonous tree).
Mexico had it twice in the space of 16 years. England has had huge problems with their national team fans in the time between now and 50 years ago. Uh, do you know anything about what happened in Argentina in 78?
WC shud go to countries with stadium infrastructure in place already…so that leaves out canada and china. mexico, columbia and argentina are to violent. so lets rotate between england, usa, germany,
brazil, france, spain, ridiculous for host countries to build new stadiums that then go unused after the tournament.
The more money that exchanges hands in development projects, the better it is to utilize “FIFA Entrepreneurship” to fill ones own and ones “business partners” pockets. Undeveloped, anarchic, unbridled, unregulated, zero accountability equates to “opportunity”.
dude… did you write Blatter’s business plan? or did you come up with that on your own?
You want the World Cup to only rotate between england, usa, germany, brazil, france, spain???? You know that there are other countries besides that with the stadia infrastructure. You do know Canada has a lot of stadia. All they would have to do is lay down natural grass on some of them. China has A LOT of modern, grass stadia.
How many stadia do you need? Since 1998, (with the exception of Korea/Japan), the host nations only used 10-12 stadia. Look up the Canadian stadia. Finally, do you really think Brazil is safer than Mexico, Columbia and Argentina. By total crime rates, Brazil is not as safe as any of them, by murder rate Mexico is the safest according the statistics. Do a little research before you type.
Canada does not have the stadiums to host the world cup.
What makes you think they don;t have 10 stadia to host the world cup. Just because YOU say so? They are hosting a woman’s world cup.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stadiums_in_Canada
http://www.ranker.com/list/top-stadiums-in-canada/world-stadiums?var=3&utm_expid=16418821-111.f9BrhYpfQp-L43k6_9ljnQ.2&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
As simple as this is; it does make a lot of sense.
Argentina is violent? Since when?
Either is fine. Right here in the US is OK but I’d like to go to Australia as well.
Sorry but no thanks. I get it, it does sound awesome to go there.
However, for the majority of us that wont be to, that would be the worst spot in the world for watching it on TV here in the US.
Flashbacks of ’02 – having an alarm clock to wake me up at 2 am to watch the games……
But I get what you are saying. Australia would be a good candidate.
“I don’t understand how Americans want the world cup when we only had it 20 years ago.”
(1) In 2022 it will have been 28 years.
(2) 1994 in the USA is still, by far, the best attended World Cup ever (nearly 70K per match). The next one in the USA will be even bigger. That, and the TV ratings that would be through the roof, will equate directly to LEGAL dollars for FIFA (and thus the footballing world).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Cup_records#Attendance