By Andrew Warshaw
February 26 – Non-European nations applying to host the 2018 soccer World Cup have reportedly been told by FIFA they should drop out and concentrate on the 2022 tournament.
The United States, Australia and Japan are officially in the race for both World Cups while Qatar have already stated they are only interested in 2022.
According to Bloomberg, sources have confirmed a FIFA unofficial mandate which would leave England, Russia and joint bids from Spain and Portugal and Holland and Belgium as the only four to compete for the 2018 World Cup.
On February 18, FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke insisted his organisation would not officially call for a Europe-only bidding process.
“They need to make up their mind in terms of what they are bidding for,” Valcke said.
“If, in the end, only European associations bid for 2018, then that’s their decision.”
But Australia’s football federation chairman Frank Lowy has already been quoted as saying that he has been told his country had little chance of winning the 2018 bid.
“If we have to change course, we will have the option of focusing on 2022 and, tactically, we still have plenty of time to consider that,” Lowy said.
Bloomberg quoted US bid executive director David Downs as saying he was not aware of any Europe-only strategy but FIFA President Sepp Blatter admitted last month there was a growing movement to that effect, though later backtracking on such a stance.
If there is a European winner in 2018, the race for 2022 will be limited to the five remaining bidders from the Asian confederation plus the USA though Indonesia’s position remains unclear because of lack of financial commitments from central government.
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