Qatar will host in 2022, claims defiant Blatter

FIFA president full of praise for Asia and the Middle East at AFC meeting

A defiant FIFA president Sepp Blatter said there would be no moving the 2022 World Cup from Qatar, despite widespread concerns about the bidding process that took the tournament to the Middle East for the first time.

"2022, it is Qatar, and ladies and gentleman, believe me, with all that has been said around the world by whom? Those not involved with what happens in football. The World Cup in 2022 will be played in Qatar," the 78-year-old Swiss told Asian Football Confederation members in Manila on Sunday.

The remarks, cheered and applauded loudly by Asian delegates, come as FIFA faces heavy criticism for not publishing a report by ethics investigator Michael Garcia into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Garcia's findings were summarized in a 42-page statement published by FIFA ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert last week, which cleared the two winning bids, but which Garcia himself complained included misrepresentations.

FIFA has said it cannot publish the full report for legal reasons.

Asked if the report should be published in full, the Swiss said: "We are going now to the executive committee meeting with all these matters on the 19th (of December) in Morocco."

A report in British news-paper The Sunday Times said it had passed on a dossier revealing further allegations of corruption regarding the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids, to a House of Commons committee and which were published on Saturday.

Blatter, however, appeared untroubled by the ongoing saga, taking the opportunity to throw his weight behind the capabilities of the Middle East nations.

"It is the second time we will go to organize the World Cup in Asia. The first was a lovely combination, a co-hosting, between Japan and Korea Republic. It was a great success, a big success," said Blatter, who is seeking a fifth term as head of FIFA next year.

"But we have the next one. It will be the first time in the Arabic world but there is another competition that I would like to underline, the Under-17 women's tournament in 2016.

"For the first time ... we are coming with women's World Cup in 2016 to the kingdom of Jordan. It is the trust and confidence of FIFA towards the Arabic world that they can organize all the competitions."

Following the announcement, the Qatar Football Association was named winner of the AFC's Dream Asia Award, a prize given, according to the AFC, to a body which uses soccer as a tool for social change, enlighten the importance of social responsibility and promote the culture of giving.

Positive impact

The head of the Qatar 2022 World Cup committee said on Sunday the gulf nation was already feeling the benefits of staging the tournament.

Hassan Al Thawadi also assured AFC members they too would also feel the positive affects of a first World Cup in the Middle East.

He said five stadiums were under construction and preparations were at an advanced stage for the event but offered no insight into when the tournament will be staged, simply saying organizers continued to prepare for June and July.

He told AFC members that the success of the Qatari national team in winning the Gulf Cup of Nations last week was evidence of the positive impact of the World Cup.

"The inspiration that 2022 provides is evident already with the achievements this year of our national teams at the AFC Under-19 Championships and the Gulf Cup," he said.

"We hope and believe that these are the first steps toward attaining the vision that 2022 can inspire in West Asia, in a similar manner that 2002 (in South Korea and Japan) inspired and invigorated football in East Asia.

"The significance of the event coming to our region for the first time must not be overlooked but we recognize that this event is also a showcase for Asian football on the international stage.

"Our responsibility is to ensure that the potential of 2022 is fully realized and leaves a positive legacy for the region and the Asian continent as a whole."