UEFA President Michel Platini has defended FIFA's decision to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar.
Football's governing body have come under criticism in some quarters, with scorned bidding nation England leading the chorus of dissent.
Platini, 55, has echoed FIFA President Sepp Blatter, stating that the organisation's main goal was to take the tournament to new regions.
"Russia asked why they didn't have the right to organise the World Cup and said it had already been held 10 times in Western Europe," Platini said.
"I think maybe the executive committee were sensitive to this."
"The same thing applies to Qatar and the Arab world. Morocco has applied to host the World Cup four times and lost, Egypt have also failed and Qatar asked when will the Middle East have this opportunity?"
i think to that the two decisions were good. Russia will make a really good wc and qatar will make a good and different wc.