Blatter: Now we conquer China & India!

After handing the 2018 FIFA World Cup to Russia and the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar to conquer new markets in Russia and the Middle East, FIFA is now looking at the next markets it wants to establish football in and those are set to be China and India.

If talk out of Zurich is taken seriously then the 2026 FIFA World Cup could go to the United States, while in 2030 the FIFA World Cup could return to Asia with China and India the top candidates. So we come to some earlier blog entries from me where I had mentioned this as a real opportunity. Surely today India has no chance against China due to its football, infrastructure, administration, etc; but in 20 years? Who knows...

In what will be courting with harsh reactions out of Europe Sepp Blatter told the Swiss weekly magazine 'Weltwoche', "I really sense in some reactions a bit of the arrogance of the western world of Christian background. Some simply can't bear it if others get a chance for a change. What can be wrong if we start football in regions where this sport demonstrates a potential which goes far beyond sport?"

And what should make us in India listen-up is Blatter's following statement, "It's my philosophy to drive forward the expansion of football. The next regions that we need to conquer would be China and India."

Blatter ended by saying, "Football has become a political matter. Heads of state court me. Football has become a monster, but it's a positive monster."

FIFA is already supporting India through the GOAL projects I & II, the 'Win in India with India' program, a grant of US-Dollar 2 Million for infrastructure and other administrative help. So lets see where it takes our football...

Stop Moaning England...

I have loads of friends who are English and love to travel to that country myself, but the reactions follow their loss against Russia in the 2018 FIFA World Cup bidding campaign is just disgraceful. It reminds me of the English reactions in 2000 when they lost out to Germany to host the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Beckenbauer and co had then simply done better lobby work, this time around it were the Russians. But I am not going to rate how they did it...

So wake-up, you surely have in the English Premier League the most popular league in the world, you are the motherland of the beautiful game and in the technical assessment of the study group got the best marks, but that doesn't guarantee you the hosting rights for a football World Cup. In today's world of FIFA these factors actually count little as it a matter of power, influence and money. You know what the rules are, so play the game accordingly or leave it.

Then there is a very interesting point. If one looks at the hosts of the FIFA World Cup's since 1990 then only two established football markets hosted the tournament - Italy in 1990 and Germany in 2006. The others were developing and even new football markets, be it 1994 USA (before the start of the MLS), 1998 France (only became a proper football nation after the 1998WC win), 2002 in Japan & South Korea (the first Asian WC) plus 2010 in South Africa (the first African WC). Now FIFA will send the World Cup to Russia and Qatar, and I believe that India now stands a real chance to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup. The only thing is we have to bid for it...

Then there is the English FA's strained relationship with the football authorities. FIFA president Sepp Blatter openly supported Russia, while UEFA president Michel Platini supported the Netherlands/Belgium in Round 1 and Russia in Round 2. So who is doing the lobby work with the key players in world football?

Then there is the problem that many countries around the world these days say the English Premier League is harming the growth of local football. Especially in Asia a lot of federations are unhappy about the EPL's popularity and want local channels to air less EPL. Some still haven't forgotten the idea of matchday 39 being played around the world.

England went into the vote thinking they are in the race, but in the end weren't even close in having a chance to win...

FIFA World Cup: 2018 in Russia, 2022 in Qatar

Switzerland's Zurich was the place that the whole football world looked towards on this December 2, 2010 as world football governing body FIFA announced the hosts for the 2018 & 2022 FIFA World Cup's. And for many the decisions came as a big surprise. Russia were named hosts for 2018 and an even bigger upset came in the form of the tiny emirate of Qatar being chosen as the hosts of the 2022 edition.

Football insiders have been saying for the last couple of days that Russia and Qatar are the likeliest candidates to win the bidding process, but global public opinion thought that England or Spain/Portugal in 2018 and USA in 2022 where the countries set to win. But the decision wasn't about football only, it was about power, money and the global expansion of football to new markets.

In lauding the victorious nations, the FIFA president Sepp Blatter also made a point of praising those who missed out. He said: “I have to say thanks to to the Executive Committee of FIFA because for 2018 and 2022 we go to new lands, because the FIFA World Cup has never been in eastern Europe or the Middle East. So, I'm a happy president when we speak of the development of football.

"But I have to give big compliments to all the bidders for the big job they have done and the messages they have delivered. All have delivered the message that football is more than just a game. Football is not only about winning; it is also a school of life where you must learn to lose, and that is not easy.”

So the decisions for 2018 and 2022 World Cup's have been made and this will have influences on the World Cup's thereafter. 2026 most likely will now go to the United States and if FIFA's global expansion plans continue then Europe could be bypassed in 2030 and the World Cup could return to Asia. And who could be the hosts? The fight would be on between China and India, the final frontiers of world football.


Here an older blog entry from me (June 8, 2010) just before the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup about India's chances to host a football World Cup in the future. Here is the article link: India hosting a football World Cup?


The voting process involved only 22 of the 24 FIFA Executive Committee members as two had been suspended after a sting operation exposed them as willing to accept bribes for their vote. And the following happened in the voting:

2018 FIFA World Cup
Round 1: England 2 votes, Netherlands/Belgium 4 votes, Spain/Portugal 7 votes, Russia 9 votes (as no absolute majority was reached, the candidate with least amount of votes, England, was eliminated).
Round 2: Netherlands/Belgium 2 votes, Spain/Portugal 7 votes, Russia 13 votes (Russia obtained an absolute majority).

2022 FIFA World Cup
Round 1: Australia 1 vote, USA 3 votes, Japan 3 votes, Korea Republic 4 votes, Qatar 11 votes (Australia eliminated).
Round 2: Japan 2 votes, USA 5 votes, Korea Republic 5 votes, Qatar 10 votes (Japan eliminated).
Round 3: Korea Republic 5 votes, USA 6 votes, Qatar 11 votes (Korea Republic eliminated).
Round 4: USA 8 votes, Qatar 14 votes (Qatar obtained an absolute majority).