Blatter claims England was left in lurch for World Cup over Saudi

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter argued Tuesday that England should have been awarded the World Cup hosting rights before Saudi Arabia, which will host the 2034 edition.

"England has done a great job for football and deserves to be rewarded," Blatter told Reuters. "They've been trying since 1966 to bring the World Cup back, and it's unfortunate they didn’t get it."

"They should have had it before Saudi Arabia, but the process was handled very cleverly, leaving no room for opposition," he added in an interview.

In December, FIFA awarded the 2034 tournament to Saudi Arabia in an uncontested process. The same decision saw Spain, Portugal and Morocco chosen to host the 2030 World Cup, with additional matches set for South America.

However, both decisions have faced criticism, with climate activists particularly condemning the 2030 plan due to the high emissions resulting from travel across three continents.

Saudi Arabia's 2034 bid has been questioned by some due to its desert climate and criticized by activists over the country’s human rights record, similar to the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Saudi Arabia denies suppressing rights.

This leaves 2038 as the next available date for England to host its second World Cup after winning the tournament at home in 1966.

Blatter expressed concern about the growing influence of the Middle East on sports like football and Formula 1, both heavily invested in by countries in the region. Still, he said England should apply to host the World Cup again.

"They should wake up and apply again," the 88-year-old said.

Blatter, who left FIFA in disgrace following a corruption scandal in 2015, also voiced concerns about the expanding size of the World Cup, which he said was diluting the quality of the tournament.

Next year’s event in the U.S., Mexico and Canada has been expanded to 48 teams, up from 32 at the 2022 edition.

"It’s become too big," he said. "Will it become like in grand slam tennis where everybody goes to the World Cup? What next – 128 teams?"

"I've always said there are too many teams, and the quality is not the same," Blatter added. "Who loses out? The spectators."

He feared constant expansion could eventually harm the sport.

"As long as football has 2 billion followers, then FIFA thinks they are happy," the Swiss said. "But one day there will be a stop – you cannot go and develop more football, more players, more money, more spectators and more stadiums."

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