Sepp Blatter’s speech announcing his decision to step down from his position as the president of Fifa would have been uneasy watching for the authorities in Qatar.

Not only will there be elections for a new president, there will be a series of sweeping reforms, in addition to the ongoing corruption investigation led by the US authorities. If the charges made by the US authorities stick, then there will undoubtedly be calls for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to be rebid. While it may be too late for the 2018 World Cup in Russia to be rebid, it is a big problem for Qatar.

The elections for a new Fifa president are expected to take place between December this year and March next year, meaning that any decision on a possible rebid is unlikely to be made until the end of the first quarter of 2016. As countries require months to prepare their bids, it is unlikely to be held before 2017.

By then the 2018 will be just 18 months away, making it very difficult for any country that does not already have the necessary infrastructure to host the event – more than likely a former host or European country, and that could open the door for fresh allegations of favouritism within Fifa.

The same does not apply for Qatar. In 2017 the 2022 World Cup will be more than five years away, leaving any prospective bidder enough of time to prepare for the tournament. South Africa had six years to prepare for the 2010 World Cup, as did Germany – the hosts in 2006, and Japan and South Korea, which hosted the 2002 event.