UEFA president Michel Platini has said awarding the next two World Cups to Russia and Qatar was "the right decision."
- Blatter: Russia 2018 not in doubt
- FIFA president hints at U.S. hosting role
Speaking to German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, Platini said he had voted for both host nations -- a decision he said he had taken for "the development of football."
Platini also told the paper he opposed European Union suggestions that the 2018 Russia World Cup should be boycotted because of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
"When we talk about Russia, my answer is this: there is a German embassy there, Lufthansa flies to Moscow. But it's not allowed to host the World Cup? I don't understand that. Politicians always look for the easy route," he said.
Late last week, calls for a boycott of the 2018 tournament were played down by German FA (DFB) president Wolfgang Niersbach, who said previous attempts to influence politics through sport had failed.
The 2022 World Cup has been under scrutiny since the decision to award it to Qatar in 2010, with allegations of corruption and widespread concerns over the safety and rights of workers on infrastructure projects.
But Platini said: "I am completely happy that I have given my vote to Qatar. That was my decision alone. In Qatar, and Russia, I opted for two countries that have never hosted a World Cup. It was the right decision for the development of football."
Meanwhile, in a pre-recorded interview played at the Soccerex Global Convention in Manchester on Monday, FIFA president Sepp Blatter reiterated that that the 2018 World Cup in Russia was not currently under any threat.
"A boycott in sport never has had any benefit, so therefore let us wait and see the geopolitical developments, and we shall not interfere with politics. For the time being, we are working with Russia," he added.
"Football cannot be the driving force to try to find political solutions. The aim of football is to work for a better world.
"We are monitoring all of that [recent developments], but we are not interfering. For the time being we are strong to maintain the organisation of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar."