Qatar in 2022? Sepp Wants It

Getting a little ahead of ourselves here ... like 12 years ahead of ourselves ...

But Fifa boss Sepp Blatter made clear the other day that he would like to see the 2022 World Cup in ... wait for it ... big soccer country ... a real hotbed ... wait ...

Qatar!

Which would seem like an amusing concept if you or I threw it out there. Sure. Qatar. Right there on the Arabian Peninsula, sticking into the Gulf like a sore thumb. A country that has never qualified for the World Cup, where summer weather is stunningly hot, a country with a tiny population ...

But here is the thing about Sepp and World Cup bidders:

Those he is thought to favor -- and sometimes he just comes out and tell us -- tend to be where the World Cup ends up. Such as South Africa 2010.

So those other nations bidding for 2010? You might be wasting your time, lads. That means you, the United States, Australia, South Korea and all those European contenders whose bids go on the junk pile if England gets the 2018 World Cup, as expected. Russia, Spain/Portugal, Belgium/Netherlands, Russia ...

If you didn't follow the link above, here is Sepp talking about Qatar:

"The Arab world deserves to host the World Cup. We are now nearing the end of the bidding process for the World Cups in 2018 and 2022 and Qatar is the only country bidding from the Middle East. I was an advocate of the Fifa's rotation policy. It was important to bring the World Cup to North America and Africa. Now I strongly feel that the World Cup should come to Qatar."

Again, wow. Can you imagine the head of, say, the IOC coming out so openly in favor of a single bidder before the process is complete? Neither can I.

Granted, Blatter was in Qatar when he pumped up the country for the 2022 World Cup. But of late he doesn't seem to pander to folks. He is more into delivering.

Remember, this is not some distant project. The host countries for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will be announced on Dec. 2. This year.

Yes, Qatar. Oil rich Qatar. Don't be surprised if you hear that name coming out of Sepp's mouth on Dec. 2.