Long wait for Asia's next W'Cup: Blatter

Asia will probably have to wait beyond 2014 to stage another World Cup with China as possible hosts, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said on Wednesday.

The head of the world governing body, who is attending the annual congress of the Asian Football Confederation, praised Asia's enthusiasm for staging another World Cup after the success of this year's finals in Japan and Korea.

But he said other continents were ahead in the queue.

"Make your calculations and you will find you will have to wait a little bit," Blatter told a news conference.

Blatter said after 2006 in Germany the World Cup was likely to move to Africa -- the only continent yet to stage soccer's biggest tournament.

"After 2010 in Africa, somewhere in the Americas they would also like to have the World Cup, and when it moves from West to Asia then Oceania can say "we are also in this region"."

Blatter was asked if China could be the next Asian hosts.

"China is able to organise any sporting event in the world," he said. "They've organised the Olympics, the Asian Games...they will also be able to organise the FIFA World Cup."

He said AFC's request for five places for Asian teams in the next World Cup would be considered at FIFA's executive committee meeting in Madrid from December 17-18.

Blatter also said that FIFA was powerless to stop illegal betting on soccer but would remain vigilant against match-fixing after this year's World Cup threw a spotlight on enormous sums of money taken by Asia's gambling syndicates.

"I'm happy to say that we have not yet been informed of new match-fixing cases since the cases that were discovered in Singapore two years ago," he said.