Blatter: FIFA Will Reject Joint World Cup Bids

• Bloomberg News, Friday, January 30, 2009 1:15 PM

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said Friday that soccer's world governing body will reject joint bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups if there are other single-country bids with "certain guarantees," according to the Spanish news agency Efe, citing comments by Blatter at a press conference in Asuncion, Paraguay.
 
If true, this would already rule out planned bids to host the tournament by Spain and Portugal, and the Netherlands and Belgium.
 
"Officials at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich couldn't immediately confirm Blatter's comments," reported Bloomberg. Countries must announce their intention to bid for the tournaments by Feb. 2, and submit bids by Dec. 11. The United States will announce its intention to bid on Monday.

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