GENEVA (AP) — U.S. World Cup bid campaigner Henry Kissinger said Friday it was "reasonable" that Europe should get to host the tournament in 2018 but he hopes the United States will be able to stage the event in 2022.
The former U.S. Secretary of State, an ardent football fan who is on the U.S. bid committee for those two World Cups, said Europe will likely win 2018, having missed out on the previous two World Cups.
"I think that it's reasonable for Europe to get it in 2018," he told The Associated Press at an international conference in Geneva.
"I hope that we get it in 2022," he added.
The United States faces competition from England, Russia, Spain-Portugal and Belgium-Netherlands for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
Australia, Japan, Qatar and South Korea are bidding for 2022 only.
Kissinger's comments come days after FIFA President Sepp Blatter hinted in an interview with German weekly Sport-Bild that 2018 will be awarded to one of the four European bidders.
