Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter delivered fiery remarks about the idea of putting the 2030 World Cup in six different countries. Speaking to Swiss newspaper SonntagsBlick the disgraced FIFA executive said it is absurd that the current FIFA bosses are splitting the competition up.
He credits his frustration with the fact that a World Cup in close proximity has an identity. Dividing up one tournament across three continents, six countries and five time zones takes away any true identity.
“It is absurd to tear the tournament apart in this way,” Blatter said. “The World Cup finals must be a compact event.” In the five World Cups Blatter was the FIFA President, there was only one edition of joint hosts. That was the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, two geographically small nations that are close together. The 2026 and 2030 World Cups will be the most expansive competitions in the history of the tournament.
FIFA assured soccer fans that the 2030 World Cup will mostly be in Portugal, Spain and Morocco. However, the opening three games in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup. Blatter argues the 2030 World Cup should play out entirely in South America, not among three continents.
“For historical reasons, the 2030 World Cup should have belonged exclusively in South America,” he said.
Blatter and others slam 2030 World Cup plans
Sepp Blatter was not alone in his criticism of how FIFA split up the 2030 World Cup. For example, RB Leipzig manager Marco Rose says FIFA is going down the wrong path by separating major tournament hosts.
“It seems that we are not at the end of this spiral yet,” Rose said. “I think it’s a shame, maybe even stupid.”
The tournament allows six teams to host games. However, it sets up a situation for fans and players who must travel across the Atlantic Ocean to different climates.
PHOTO: IMAGO / Pond5 Images
