FIFA president Sepp Blatter has reiterated that single nation World Cup hosting bids would be preferred over joint bids.
Reuters quotes Blatter, speaking before attending the Manchester United versus Inter Milan Champions League match last night, as saying, “When we gave the 2002 World Cup to South Korea and Japan there were sporting and political reasons to share it.
“What we found then was that that was not one World Cup in two countries but two World Cups in two countries, two organising committees and twice the expense.”
Reuters reports Blatter said that FIFA’s executive committee decided in 2006 that joint bids would only be accepted if one or both countries could also stage the event alone.
Bidding to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cup has opened, and Spain and Portugal and the Netherlands and Belgium have both submitted joint bids. England, Russia, Australia, Indonesia, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Qatar and the US are also bidding.
