Sepp Blatter says awarding 2022 World Cup to Qatar was a mistake

Sepp Blatter has taken responsibility for awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, and admits it was a "mistake" and a "bad choice".

The 86-year-old, who served as the eighth president of FIFA from 1998 to 2015, spoke to Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger about a range of subjects, including the decision to award Qatar the world's biggest sporting event in 2010.

Throughout the build-up to this winter's tournament, the hosts have been criticised over their attitude towards women and people within the LGBTQ+ community.

In addition to that, concerns continue to be raised over the country’s treatment of migrant workers, as well as their controversial human rights record.

In his first interview since being cleared of fraud charges in July this year, Blatter says he did not vote for Qatar and instead wanted a "gesture of peace" by hosting the two tournaments in Russia and the USA.

"The choice of Qatar was a mistake," he told Swiss publication Tages-Anzeiger.

"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. Football and the World Cup are too big for that."

Blatter 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."

Image credit: Alamy

Earlier this month, FIFA told all 32 nations competing teams at this winter's World Cup to "focus on football" following a controversial build-up to the competition.

Sky News revealed what the FIFA leadership team, including president Gianni Infantino and governing body's secretary general Fatma Samoura, said in the letter.

It read: "Please, let's now focus on the football! We know football does not live in a vacuum and we are equally aware that there are many challenges and difficulties of a political nature all around the world.

"But please do not allow football to be dragged into every ideological or political battle that exists."

Since that letter was made public, English and Welsh football leaders say they will continue to campaign on human rights issues and compensation for migrant workers in Qatar.