JOINT BID FROM BELGIUM AND NETHERLANDS?
During a meeting at the Home of FIFA in Zurich on 14 November 2007 with FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter and FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke, the Presidents of the football associations of Belgium, Francois de Keersmaecker, and the Netherlands, Mathieu Sprengers, officially announced their interest in submitting a joint bid to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup™.
“There are no borders between our countries, but there is a lot of friendship,” stressed the two delegations. “Remember, we successfully hosted EURO 2000.” “These two neighbours are founder members of FIFA,” said Blatter. FIFA also explained that it was important for the governing body to have only one point of contact at local organising committee level.
Blatter then noted that other countries were already planning to submit bids. “It says everything about the popularity of football in general and the FIFA World Cup in particular that we already have concrete proposals for the 2018 World Cup.”
The FIFA Executive Committee will allocate the hosting rights for the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ in 2011.

The official emblem of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Chile 2008 was unveiled on 24 November 2007 during a ceremony in Santiago de Chile, attended by star player Marta Vieira da Silva, top goalscorer and best player of the FIFA Women’s World Cup China 2007.
The official emblem depicts a kite in the colours of the Chilean flag on a pale blue background as a symbol for women’s football. The airwaves are another feminine element, showing the wind carrying the kite and, when the emblem is held lengthways, the unique shape of the country. The kite is one of the most popular symbols of Chilean culture and it is a tradition for children to fly them during national holidays, such as Independence Day.
The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup will be held for the first time in South America in 2008. The four host cities will be Chilian, Coquimbo, La Florida (Santiago) and Temuco.

Following the 3rd World Conference on Doping in Sport in Madrid from 15 to 17 November 2007, FIFA drew positive conclusions on the debates and decisions while at the same time reiterating its commitment to fight doping and contribute towards the harmonisation of the World Anti-Doping Code.
A FIFA delegation, led by Dr Michel D’Hooghe, a member of the FIFA Executive Committee and the chairman of the FIFA Sports Medical Committee, and Professor Jiri Dvorak, FIFA chief medical officer, stressed the substantial long-term contribution that FIFA has made to the development of the World Anti-Doping Code “FIFA and WADA have always fought hard to defend their respective positions, for the sake and for the protection of football,” said FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter. “FIFA’s main objective has always been to see the principle of individual case management integrated into the code and to give team sports a voice. This is now the case.”
FIFA is grateful that WADA has considered football’s concerns and made the relevant changes in the final version of the code. “The new code demonstrates that, in the interests of the athletes, harmonisation and flexibility of sanctions are preferable to uniformity,” added the FIFA President. “FIFA will continue to play its part in the further development of the code – and in the ongoing fight against doping in football, thus ensuring FIFA’s support for the new World Anti-Doping Code.”