ZURICH, Switzerland -- FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the system of
rotating the World Cup among continents could end after the 2014 tournament,
a move that could hurt the United States' bid for 2018.
"The FIFA executive committee has decided that the process of the
rotation will go to 2014," Blatter said at a news conference Friday.
Whether it continues will be decided when the executive committee meets
in Durban, South Africa, ahead of the 2010 qualifying draw on Nov. 23.
That also is when the executive committee will select the site of the
2014 tournament, which is designated for South America and is likely to
be in Brazil.
Under the rotation system, the 2018 tournament would be in the North and
Central American and Caribbean region. However, the British government
has said it would back a bid by England.
FIFA also said that the son of CONCACAF president and FIFA vice president
Jack Warner must pay 750,000 Euros ($1 million) to SOS Children's Villages
in repayment for selling tickets at inflated prices during last year's
World Cup. FIFA was unable to sanction Warner's son, Daryan, because he
was employed outside the FIFA family. Daryan allegedly sold the tickets
through the Trinidad and Tobago travel agency Simpaul, which was owned
by Warner's family.
"We have already received a first payment by the Simpaul organization
... of $250,000," Blatter said. "They are trying now to get
the rest of the money of the two other partners."
FIFA said its equity had gone from minus-$10.9 million in January 2003,
following the collapse of its marketing partner ISL/ISMM, to $617 million
last December. The World Cup ran a profit of $207 million, of which FIFA
received $60 million.
"Five years ago they wanted to send me to jail, and now I am getting
a round of applause," Blatter said. "So you see how things can
change."
The executive committee also:
– gave permission for Toronto FC to compete in Major League
Soccer and Bermuda Hogges in the United Soccer League.
– rescheduled the 2008 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup in Chile
from Aug. 28-Sept. 14 to Dec. 30, 2008-Jan. 12, 2009.
– lengthened the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa
by one day to June 14-28, with the tournament to be played in Bloemfontein,
Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria and Rustenberg.
– introduced a qualifying playoff between the Oceania champion
and the Japanese champion at this year's FIFA Club World Cup in Japan.
– awarded television rights for the 2014 World Cup to the European
Broadcasting Union and ARD/ZDF in Germany.
– ratified the emergency committee's decision to lift the suspension
of Kenya.
– decided the FIFA Congress in May will vote on whether to make
Montenegro the 208th member.
– scheduled the 2008 FIFA Congress from May 28-30 in Sydney,
Australia.
