Mr Blatter is using the FIFA World Cup qualifying matches and the official FIFA Fair Play Days from 5 to 9 September to send out a strong message calling for fair play on and off the pitch.

Fair play should come before anything else in football quoted Joseph S. Blatter. He has always been resolute in his support for FIFA's "My Game is Fair Play" campaign, pointing towards the vital role of fair play in football and the need to increase fair play in sport, especially among children and young people. "Through football, we protect and communicate the strong basic values that children and young people need, such as solidarity, tolerance, respect and discipline. Football is a school of life," said Blatter. "It teaches us how to win as a team, but also how to lose as a team."

The fair play principles of world football's governing body will be the focus of attention once again this weekend, with points up for grabs in dozens of stadiums around the world in the race to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa . "I expect players, officials and fans to set a perfect example of fair play," emphasised Blatter. He added that it was even more important in vital matches such as these to uphold the values of fair play. "These qualifying matches must epitomise fair play," underlined the FIFA President. They should encapsulate the sporting, moral and ethical principles for which FIFA has always stood and leave a lasting impression.

The FIFA Fair Play Days, which are being held for the 13th time this year, have come to feature prominently on the international match calendar in the past few years. Many associations around the world have taken advantage of FIFA's annual support to promote fair play on and off the pitch. In all, 69 associations have announced that they will be staging fair play events at football matches in the next few days, using promotional material such as flags, T-shirts, caps and stickers provided to them free of charge by FIFA. FIFA has also issued instructions for a fair play ceremony to be held before the matches, a declaration to be read by the captains of both teams and a message to be announced in the stadiums.