Sepp Blatter: FIFA Planned To Award U.S. 2022 World Cup Before Qatar Decision

Sepp Blatter is airing some of FIFA’s dirty laundry before the door on his longtime presidency of world soccer’s governing body closes forever.

Blatter said Tuesday in an interview with Russian news agency TASS FIFA broke a pre-existing agreement to award the 2022 FIFA World Cup to the United States when it voted in favor of Qatar in December 2010. Blatter said then French President Nicolas Sarkozy pushed Michel Platini to back Qatar, leading the UEFA president to alter the outcome of the World Cup vote and recent soccer history.

“In 2010, we had a discussion of the World Cup and then we went to a double decision,” Blatter told TASS, according to Sky Sports. “For the World Cups, it was agreed that we go to Russia (in 2018) because it’s never been in Russia, eastern Europe, and for 2022, we go back to America. And so we will have the World Cup in the two biggest political powers.

“And everything was good until the moment when Sarkozy came in a meeting with the crown prince of Qatar, who is now the ruler of Qatar. And at a lunch afterwards with Mr Platini, he said it would be good to go to Qatar. And this has changed all pattern.

“There was an election by secret ballot. Four votes from Europe went away from the USA and so the result was 14 to eight. If you put the four votes, it would have been 12 to 10 (to the USA).

“If the USA was given the World Cup, we would only speak about the wonderful World Cup 2018 in Russia and we would not speak about any problems at FIFA.”

Blatter last year characterized the Qatar 2022 decision as “a mistake” and said political pressure from Germany and France influenced the decision. Blatter’s new revelation reinforces his previous claim and is the latest bombshell twist in the ongoing FIFA scandal.

However, Blatter currently is serving a 90-day suspension from FIFA and the longtime president didn’t speak to TASS in an official capacity.

Blatter has served as FIFA’s president since 1998. His tenure will end on Feb. 26, 2016 when FIFA elects a new president.