Awarding Fifa World Cup 2022 to Qatar was a mistake: Former president explains why

Days ahead of the Fifa World Cup 2022, former president Sepp Blatter commented that awarding it to Qatar was a "mistake". In the tournament's 92-year-history, this is the first time when the tournament has been awarded to a Middle East nation. 

In recent years, Qatar has come under intense pressure in recent years for its treatment of foreign workers and restrictive social laws. The country's human rights record has led to calls for teams and officials to boycott the tournament.

 In 2010, when Qatar was awarded the tournament, Blatter was the president of world football's governing body.  Blatter, 86, told Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger, "It is too small of a country. Football and the World Cup are too big for it."

He noted that he had voted for the United States but its bid was beaten by Qatar in the final round of a five-candidate contest to be the 2022 host. In the same year, 2018 World Cup was also awarded to Russia. 

"It was a bad choice and I was responsible for that as president at the time," he said.

"Thanks to the four votes of Platini and his [Uefa] team, the World Cup went to Qatar rather than the United States. It's the truth."

Blatter spent 17 years as Fifa president but was forced to step down in 2015 over allegations he unlawfully arranged a transfer of two million Swiss francs ($2.19m; £1.6m) to Platini, who was also forced to resign from his position at Fifa.

The 32 teams will play 64 games in eight stadiums in and around the city of Doha which has been transformed since 2010 by massive construction projects to prepare for the World Cup.

Games start on Nov. 20 with about 1.2 million international visitors expected to arrive in Qatar during the World Cup. With limited places to stay in the host nation, some will commute in from neighboring states.