Brazil named as 2014 Cup host

ZURICH: Brazil, the only runner in the race, was officially unveiled as the 2014 World Cup host by FIFA president Sepp Blatter yesterday.

Blatter announced Brazil as the venue after the sole candidate's final presentation to FIFA's executive committee with Brazil president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in attendance.

The five-time world champion has staged the World Cup once before, in 1950, when it lost the final 2-1 to Uruguay in front of a near 200,000 crowd at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

A complete renovation of that mythic venue featured as one of the key proposals in Brazil's 2014 bid.

The South American football giant's promised an environmentally friendly World Cup.

Ricardo Teixeira, president of the Brazilian Football Confederation, said hosting the World Cup would be "a great joy and an historic achievement for the country and the Brazilian people, which will have an impact both on the social and economic level".

He added: "This World Cup will leave a permanent legacy" with improvements to transport, health, sewage and water systems as well as security, he noted.

He was joined on the platform by the governor of the Amazon region, Eduardo Braga, who promised that it would "contribute to the lasting development and would help the people and the conservation of this irreplaceable environmental heritage."

"The World Cup in Brazil will be the first mega world event to unite millions of people with the conservation of global warming and the reduction of climate change," he said.

UEFA president Michel Platini welcomed Brazil as 2014 host.

The boss of European football's governing body said: "Brazil is the country that has given most to football, it's the biggest football nation in the world which has won the most World Cups. A World Cup in Brazil is like going on a pilgrimage to Mecca... or Jerusalem."

Venues and the precise amount of budget laid aside for the hosting of the event are two major issues which will be tackled "in the months and years ahead", a member of the Brazil delegation told AFP.

International football's governing body FIFA had supported Brazil as the sole candidate after an inspection of potential sites.

"It would be appropriate to choose Brazil as the host nation for the 2014 World Cup," said FIFA's inspection group in the report last month.

"Brazil has proved its potential and shown itself capable of organizing an exceptional FIFA World Cup."

Meanwhile, Germany has been selected to host the women's 2011 World Cup, FIFA announced.

Germany, which hosted the 2006 men's World Cup, was chosen over Canda with three other countries - Peru, Mexico and Australia - earlier withdrawing their candidacies.

World champion in 2003 and at this year's tournament in China, the German women's team will be favorite for the 2011 competition.

Rotation policy ended

FIFA's executive committee has also voted unanimously to end its policy of rotating the hosting of World Cups through its six continental confederations.

Confirming the decision on Monday, Blatter said the rotation policy had been dropped with effect from the 2018 World Cup.

Blatter added that a final decision on the hosting of the 2018 event would likely be taken in 2011, with prospective bidders probably needing to signal their interest by 2009.

He said that FIFA had already learned of six possible bids.

"Besides England, there is at least one combined offer from the Netherlands and Belgium," Blatter said. "There has also been interest announced from China, Australia, Mexico and the United States."

Monday's decision opens the bidding for future World Cups up to any national association, providing they do not belong to a confederation that has hosted any of the two preceding editions.

Blatter said there would be no restriction on multiple applicants from the same continental confederation.

AFP/Agencies

(China Daily 10/31/2007 page24)