Football's world governing body says soccer stadiums in many countries are failing to meet minimum safety standards.
In a statement issued Tuesday, FIFA's technical and development committee said basic security is being ignored in many regions around the world. The statement cited Africa and certain areas in South America, Central America and Asia.
The technical and development committee, co-chaired by former France and Juventus player Michel Platini and Angel Maria Villar Llona of Spain, made its observations after a number of stadium inspections.
FIFA says it plans to take strong action to rectify what it calls an "intolerable situation," with the objective of having every preliminary match for the 2010 World Cup played in a safe environment. One idea being considered is to punish countries that fail to meet safety regulations by moving their qualifying matches to a neutral venue.
Some information for this report was provided by AP .