ZURICH — FIFA will not make any changes to the allocation of World Cup slots among the six continents for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments in Russia and Qatar, president Sepp Blatter said Saturday. Europe will have 13 places, Africa 5, S.America 4.5, Asia 4.5, Concacaf 3.5 and Oceania 0.5, while host Russia qualifies automatically in 2018 and Qatar in 2022.
A half place means that the team in question has to play off over two legs against a team from another continent for a place in the finals.
UEFA president Michel Platini had Thursday warned that cutting the number of European teams at the finals was “a red line that must not be crossed.”
The decision was good news for South America which had feared losing half a place despite a good performance in Brazil last year, where five of the continent's six teams got past the second round.
It also left Oceania without a guaranteed place, with the top side in the region instead having to playoff with a team from another continent.
That has proved a difficult task in the past, with New Zealand losing 9-3 on aggregate to Mexico in a two-leg playoff for a place in Brazil.
“The same distribution has been accepted by everyone although some were more grumpy than others,” Blatter told reporters.
In October 2013, Blatter had said that he wanted Africa and Asia to have more places. In April, he said that CONCACAF should have four full places rather than 3.5.
Emboldened by his fresh mandate to lead world soccer, Blatter made it clear there may be consequences for European leaders who tried to oust him from FIFA.
“I forgive but I don't forget,” Blatter said Saturday at FIFA headquarters.
The relationship between FIFA and UEFA will be one of the key issues for Blatter as he begins his fifth term as president of the governing body. UEFA President Michel Platini, who helped Blatter first gain the presidency in 1998, led opposition against his former ally.
Blatter didn't extend much of an olive branch in his first news conference since Friday's election, but did reiterate that he is “also the president of those associations that are against me.”
He also challenged UEFA to come back into the fold.
“(UEFA) have to be an example also and not only to say, ‘FIFA, what is FIFA?' They shall help and come in and take responsibility,” Blatter said.
Repairing the relationship may not be so simple though. Following this week's arrests of senior FIFA official as part of a US investigation into soccer corruption, Platini appealed directly to Blatter to stand down. That request was unequivocally rejected and Platini now has to work with Blatter for four more years. However, the former France great said change is still crucial if FIFA “is to regain its credibility.”
Platini and other European officials have suggested UEFA should look into splitting with FIFA completely, although the consequences of such a drastic move would be so far-reaching that it seems highly implausible.
It would bar some of soccer's biggest countries from the World Cup, and would cut off the European club game from the rest of the world. That could cause an exodus of non-European players, and Blatter reminded clubs of that.
“UEFA is the biggest (confederation), UEFA is the richest one, you have the best competition, you have the best players,” Blatter said. “If you don't have players from the other continent, then they will not be so rich or so good in football.”
The executive committee also cleared the way for European countries to bid for the 2026 World Cup.
UEFA's strategy for how to deal with Blatter may become clearer next week when the European body holds meetings in Berlin ahead of the Champions League final. — Agencies
