World Cup places decision next week - Blatter

The allocation of places for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will be decided next week, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said in Sudan on Friday.

"FIFA will meet next Wednesday and Thursday and take a decision on the allocation of slots for the 2014 World Cup," Blatter told a joint media conference with African football boss Issa Hayatou.

"We have one slot decided already -- host nation Brazil -- and FIFA will come out with procedures for the remaining 31 slots," said Blatter, who attended a midweek Khartoum gathering of African football leaders.

Europe had 13 representatives at the World Cup in South Afica last June and July, including champions Spain, runners-up the Netherlands and third-placed Germany.

The traditional five places reserved for Africa rose to six because the host nation were guaranteed a slot, yet only Ghana made it to the round of 16 when the knockout phase begins.

South America had five places -- four automatically plus Uruguay via a play-off victory over Costa Rica -- and all but Chile reached the quarter-finals in South Africa.

Asia had four slots and Central and North America three with Bahrain and Costa Rica losing play-offs that offered each region the chance of an extra challenger at the first World Cup staged by Africa.

Oceania lacked direct assess to the 2010 World Cup, but New Zealand made it by scoring the lone goal of a two-leg play-off with Bahrain and were the sole side to leave South Africa unbeaten despite a first-round exit.