FIFA set to change World Cup rotation system
FIFA set to change World Cup rotation system
October 28, 2007
By Martyn Ziegler Special to PA SportsTicker
Updated on Sunday, Oct 28, 2007 10:10 am, EDT
ZURICH, Switzerland (Ticker) - FIFA is expected to decide on Monday to change the system of rotating the World Cup finals between the continents.
FIFA's executive committee, which will meet in Zurich, is to examine various options including whether more than one country from each continent can bid.
Under the current rotation system, the World Cup went to Africa for 2010 (South Africa won the contest), South America for 2014 and if rotation continued would go to a country from north and central America or the Caribbean in 2018. The United States plans to bid in 2018.
However FIFA president Sepp Blatter is concerned that only one nation - Brazil - bid for 2014 and said last week that he favored a change.
"My thoughts are that we shall open the market and make the World Cup available for everybody apart from the last confederation which has just organized it, which means South America cannot bid for 2018," Blatter said. The FIFA president should get his way as the majority of the 23 FIFA executive members who meet in Zurich are understood to be of the same opinion.
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