LOS ANGELES, May 16 — FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the soccer ruling body’s decision to host the 2022 World Cup in Qatar’s summer was a mistake and it was “more than probable” the event will be switched to the winter.

Blatter was speaking to Radio Television Suisse, which posted the interview on its website.

FIFA executives picked Qatar ahead of Australia, Japan and South Korea and the US, even after a report by the soccer authority’s own officials that said it was a “potential health risk” for players and fans for matches to be held in the emirate in June and July where temperatures can be as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).

“Yes, it was a mistake,” Blatter told RTS. “You know in life we make many mistakes.”

Zurich-based FIFA sent out a statement to media following the interview that said Blatter’s opinion was “in line with previous comments” and at no point had he questioned Qatar being the 2022 host.

Blatter, 78, told RTS that FIFA executives had come under “political pressure” from France and Germany to award the tournament to the desert state that is smaller than Connecticut. Qatar is the world’s biggest liquefied natural-gas producer and the richest nation in the world with a per capita income for citizens of US$101,000 (RM326,634) in 2012, according to the International Monetary Fund.

“The big companies in France and Germany work in Qatar,” Blatter said.

Qatar’s World Cup organizers have said temperatures could be mitigated by air conditioning systems in stadiums, although they are open to changing the dates.

A rescheduling is likely to provoke a clash with European soccer leagues and FIFA has invited club officials to a meeting in September to discuss the issue. — Bloomberg