Former FIFA president says awarding Qatar World Cup was a 'mistake'

Sepp Blatter, the disgraced former president of FIFA, told Swiss Newspaper Tages Anzeiger this week that awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar was a "mistake" and that "the choice was bad."

The comments come just a couple of weeks before the tournament kicks off later this month.

Blatter said that because he was the president of FIFA at the time that he is responsible for the bad choice.

Among his many criticisms of the decision are the claims that Qatar is too small to host the tournament, and that the World Cup is too big for the country. Qatar is the first middle eastern country to host the World Cup. 

Qatar was originally awarded the 2022 tournament 12 years ago and the country has faced widespread criticism since then for its human rights policies and the treatment of migrant workers in constructing the stadiums. 

"Since then, social considerations and human rights are taken into account," Blatter said.

There has been widespread accusations of corruption within FIFA for the decisions to award the 2018 and 2022 tournaments to Russia and Qatar, respectively. 

Blatter was the president of FIFA for 17 years, but stepped down in 2015 after he and then-UEFA president Michel Platini were accused of fraud. Blatter was accused of unlawfully transferring money to Platini. 

Both men were found not guilty at a trial in Switzerland. 

Blatter was originally banned by FIFA for eight years. His current ban runs through 2028. 

Blatter also blamed Platini for swinging the vote for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar's favor. Blatter claims he voted for the United States to host it.