VIENNA, Austria — FIFA president Sepp Blatter confirmed for the first time a contingency plan exists to move the 2010 World Cup from South Africa the event of a natural catastrophe.

The 2010 tournament has been plagued by stadium construction delays, security fears, transport problems and the possibility of power outages, leading to concerns the first World Cup set staged in Africa might have to be shifted to another country.

Blatter, on hand for Sunday's European Championship final between Spain and Germany, said his organization had to be prepared for every eventuality.

"I would be a very negligent president if I hadn't put away in a drawer somewhere a Plan B," Blatter said. "However, only a natural catastrophe would change things. If we had to activate the Plan B, we would take our decision after the Confederations Cup."

The six-nation Confederations Cup, which tests some of the stadiums, the transportation, hotel facilities and logistics in South Africa, will be ending this time next year. Five of the World Cup venues will be used and only one new stadium, at Port Elizabeth, has yet to be completed.

Danny Jordaan, chief executive officer of the South African 2010 organizing committee, said earlier in the week that critics who thought FIFA had arranged a backup host were wrong.

"I think it was misconception in the world that there was a so-called Plan B," Jordaan said. "It was just not real. I think it's a lack of understanding. I think it's ignorance, frankly."