Soccer-England should have won World Cup hosting before Saudi Arabia, says ex-FIFA chief Blatter

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA expected to confirm Saudi Arabia as 2034 World Cup hosts - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - December 11, 2024 General view inside the Saudi Arabia World Cup bid exhibition REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo

ZURICH (Reuters) - England should have won the hosting rights for the soccer World Cup before the next free date in 2038 and before Saudi Arabia which will hold the 2034 edition, former FIFA President Sepp Blatter said on Tuesday.

"England has done a great job for the game of football and they should be rewarded," Blatter told Reuters. "They have tried since 1966 to get the World Cup back and it's a shame they didn't get it.