Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has insisted that the decision to let Qatar host the 2022 World Cup was a "mistake" made during his tenure.
In 2010, a Blatter-led regime decided that Qatar would host the 2022 edition of the global showpiece and at the time, there was a notable opposing reaction regarding the decision, with many in some quarters questioning the integrity of not only the hosts but the manner in which the rights were granted to the Gulf state.
Some suggested that corruption was involved while many reports suggested that others were incensed by choice due to the nation's murky reputation regarding human rights among other concerns.
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Blatter has now insisted that it was a bad choice by his regime to hand Qatar the hosting rights, while also revealing that he voted against the decision, albeit he was outvoted.
"The choice of Qatar was a mistake," Blatter said in an interview with Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger, his first since being cleared of fraud charges in July relating to a a £1.7 million (R34.6 million) payment to the former UEFA president Michel Platini.
"At the time, we actually agreed in the executive committee that Russia should get the 2018 World Cup and the USA that of 2022. It would have been a gesture of peace if the two long-standing political opponents had hosted the World Cup one after the other
"It's too small a country [Qatar]. Football and the World Cup are too big for that."
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He added: "I can only repeat: the award to Qatar was a mistake, and I was responsible for that as president at the time. Now that the World Cup is imminent, I'm glad that, with a few exceptions, no footballers are boycotting the World Cup.
"For me it is clear: Qatar is a mistake. The choice was bad. What I'm wondering: why is the new FIFA president [Gianni Infantino] living in Qatar? He can't be the head of the local World Cup organisation. That's not his job. There are two organising committees for this - a local one and one from FIFA."
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