CAPE TOWN: FIFA president Sepp Blatter apologized to Ireland on Wednesday for revealing the country's football association had asked for a 33rd place at next year's World Cup in South Africa.

Blatter said he regretted telling a soccer business conference in Johannesburg the Irish had asked for an extra place at the World Cup finals after their controversial elimination in their qualifying playoff with France.

"I regret what I created by what I said and I'm sorry about the headlines. The Irish were very sporting people when they came to see us at FIFA. I'm very sorry about that," the president of soccer's world governing body said at a new conference in Cape Town on Wednesday.