With the 2010 World Cup less than two years away FIFA is getting more than a little nervous with the pace of development in South Africa. For the first time FIFA president Sepp Blatter publicly acknowledged that “I would be a very negligent president if I didn’t have a Plan B ready for the 2010 World Cup.”
According to Frank Dell’Apa of the Boston Globe that Plan B could be the U.S.
FIFA is going to wait on making a decision until until after South Africa hosts the Confederations Cup next summer. The eight country tournament will include Brazil (South American champion), Egypt (Africa), Iraq (Asia), Italy (World Cup), South Africa (host), Spain (Europe), the US (CONCACAF), and an Oceania representative.
“We will decide after the test of the Confederations Cup and only a catastrophe would put the alternative plan into effect,” Blatter told the Austrian network ORF. “The World Cup is a logistical challenge and South Africa wants to shows the world it is able to do it.”
There is no other nation that is capable of hosting a World Cup on less than twelve months notice as FIFA is unlikely to go back to Europe or Japan, which played host to the last two finals.
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Heres hoping South Africa completely blows it. Would be great to have some games hosted at Foxboro.
Not only is the US the only potential host on less than 12 months notice, the US is the only potential host that guarantees US$100MM profit.
Not buying it, at lest not yet. It would be a political disaster of epic proportions. They’ll fight like hell to prevent S.A. from losing it.
The 2010 WC will be in South Africa. Even if its not ready completely, the country has placed too much money into stadium infrastructure, no matter how far behind they may be a year from now to say no. Plus the political outcry for pulling it, after they got so close for the 2006 games would be very ugly. Only thing that would prevent it from being in SA is a civil war, or some kind of virus outbreak like SARS. For me, as a Black American, going to SA to watch the WC is on my bucket list. I looking forward to July 2010 in SA.