Sepp Blatter confirms human-rights criteria will be used to assess future WC bids

FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who is bidding for a fifth term of presidency, has confirmed that in assessing bids to host future World Cups, human-rights criteria would be used.

Blatter's confirmations came after criticism of the human-rights record of 2022 hosts Qatar and are belated acknowledgement from the FIFA boss that football's world governing body must modernize, as he faces a re-election vote in May.

Blatter said that human rights and other rights would be part of the basic conditions to organise the competition, adding that that would be new for the next World Cup, more specifically the World Cup 2026, The Independent reported.

Qatar's poor human rights were not considered by FIFA when, in 2010, they were controversially awarded the 2022 tournament. Human-rights groups revealed workers toiling for little pay in unsafe and insanitary conditions.

Blatter, attending the Asia Cup final in Sydney, admitted that FIFA had learned some valuable lessons from the controversy-tinged process of voting for two World Cups; 2018 and 2022, in one sitting.

Blatter said that he would never forget the 2nd of December 2010, where they have made the decision for two World Cups, which was wrong. He added that they have also taken the decision later on that it would be the congress that would elect the designated World Cup organizer and the list of requirements.