World Cup 2018.....Who Wins The Prize?

[lomatopo]

I'm sorry but Qatar? <deleted>. Average high temp in June ~ 42, no stadiums in place, ~ 1.3 million people (of which fewer than half are citizens). Meanwhile in the U.S we've got all the stadiums you need, a lot of interest (this year's WC final was watched by ~ 25 million people in the U.S.), pleasant temps in June, solid infrastructure. We did a decent job hosting in 1994.

Also a crime that England has not hosted since 1966.

Budweiser at 106 degrees Fahrenheit - USA Loses World Cup Bid

Today, you can get a beer in Qatar and drink it in a hotel lobby or bar but forget grabbing a tallboy and swigging it from a brown paper bag in downtown Doha, Qatar's capital and host of the 2022 World Cup. No booze in public. FIFA has awarded the World Cup Finals to a country of 1.7 million people associated with the super oil rich. For those who play the stocks, buy oil! Expect a gallon of gas to rise around 2020 to pay for the stadiums and infrastructure required to host the World Cup. Portfolio spreaders should breeze to fan manufacturers - it is 106 degrees on average in the Qatari summer. FIFA must be banking on the American driver still being hooked on gas.

The big loser today is the stock in American soccer. Soccer's expansion and popularity is on-going, no matter what the boring soccer detractors say. Each new generation of American has come to know soccer through playing it or watching their kid playing it. More kids kick the ball these days than throw it. But there is no doubt that hosting a World Cup would have boosted the professional and youth game like a rocket. FIFA's version of democracy prevailed elevating lobbyists to a new height. The dejected USA delegation has blamed "politics" for FIFA's decision.

Qatar 2022, good and bad, as usual. The nation loves its soccer although they have never qualified for the World Cup Finals. The government has agreed to dismantle the stadiums after the tournament and give them to poor countries. Progressive thinking. It is somewhat of a more liberal Islamic state, women can drive, there is a civil code with Islamic law for domestic and some criminal cases, although this might not apply to terrible refereeing decisions. The market for soccer is massive in the Middle East but how many ordinary Middle Easterners will be flying to the Doha round of world soccer? In previous World Cups, the ad boardings around the field were plastered with Budweiser, expect that to change to Chevron.

[Jingthing]

Qatar? I think it's time for Israel to beef up their football program. Dream final in Qatar -- Israel vs. Iran. Now that would be hilarious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRs_o_tG8b8

[MSingh]

Apparently Blatter, in an Interview last night, got asked who his favourite Qatar Player was, & he answered.......................... " Eric Clapton "....

[salty]

With the summer temperatures in Qatar teams will be doing their best not to qualify for 2022.

[lomatopo]

Winning goal, World Cup 2022

http://www.navymats.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/beach-soccer.jpg

[oldgit]

The worst thing the British did was create football and give it to the rest of the world ( ie FIFA ) instead of retaining the control of the game at home. Look at the way the Yanks have kept control of the games they've produced? There might be NFL and baseball leagues in other countries but the World Series is always based in the U.S.A. You abide by their rules or you don't come

.By introducing rules to suit continental teams,FIFA have turned the game into a non contact sport with cheating,diving and spitting the norm.As far as the vote was concerned,ofcourse it was bent. Did anybody think it was going to be otherwise? When a delegate from,say,the Soloman Islands,with his arse hanging out of his trousers has such a powerful influence on the outcome of the competition,could it be anything but?

And what a nice little jolly up for England's entourage in Zurich. I've never seen so many nobodies with 'vice president' before their name. A complete waste of money when the common people are being subjected to austerity measures at home.

[MSingh]

The worst thing the British did was create football and give it to the rest of the world ( ie FIFA ) instead of retaining the control of the game at home. Look at the way the Yanks have kept control of the games they've produced? There might be NFL and baseball leagues in other countries but the World Series is always based in the U.S.A. You abide by their rules or you don't come

Can't really compare their Sports with Football though..

Football is played in every Country around the World, it is the most populat Sport in the World by a long way..

& their World Series is only called that due to the Newspaper that Sponsored it back in teh early 1900's i beleive so it's not as if it really represents teh " World " in the sense of the word..

They let Canada have a go in it though..

Annyway, here's the Official Summaries of the Bids..

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/bidders/organisation/documents/index.html

[nev]

I must admit i laughed when i heard the decisions,fifa is so corrupt they put thaksin to shame,and blatter what can be said of this man,is it true he is on the board of real madrid?

Pull out of world cups and bring back the four nations miss the games against scotland wales and ireland.

[carmine]

I must admit i laughed when i heard the decisions,fifa is so corrupt they put thaksin to shame,and blatter what can be said of this man,is it true he is on the board of real madrid?

Pull out of world cups and bring back the four nations miss the games against scotland wales and ireland.

I like that idea nev and you never know, we might even get to win a tournament.

Either way, we really should tell FIFA to do one and i reckon we'd get a fair bit of backing. We might well be shit but Englands participation means a great deal around the world.

[StevieH]

I must admit i laughed when i heard the decisions,fifa is so corrupt they put thaksin to shame,and blatter what can be said of this man,is it true he is on the board of real madrid?

Pull out of world cups and bring back the four nations miss the games against scotland wales and ireland.

no, he's not on the board. he's a lifetime honorary 'member' but that means nothing. check some of these out though: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sepp_Blatter#Honours

i'd sign a petition pulling england out of fifa and future world cups until there's some transparency and regulation at the top level of the game. i've no love for english football or the FA but the world game's governing body is a bad joke.

[smokie36]

I must admit i laughed when i heard the decisions,fifa is so corrupt they put thaksin to shame,and blatter what can be said of this man,is it true he is on the board of real madrid?

Pull out of world cups and bring back the four nations miss the games against scotland wales and ireland.

I like that idea nev and you never know, we might even get to win a tournament.

Either way, we really should tell FIFA to do one and i reckon we'd get a fair bit of backing. We might well be shit but Englands participation means a great deal around the world.

We're ready to do battle......I reckon this could be a big winner.....used to enjoy it back in the '80's.......believe we outplayed you at Wembley last time as well..

.....the 'Golden Generation'.....

[nev]

I must admit i laughed when i heard the decisions,fifa is so corrupt they put thaksin to shame,and blatter what can be said of this man,is it true he is on the board of real madrid?

Pull out of world cups and bring back the four nations miss the games against scotland wales and ireland.

no, he's not on the board. he's a lifetime honorary 'member' but that means nothing. check some of these out though: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sepp_Blatter#Honours

i'd sign a petition pulling england out of fifa and future world cups until there's some transparency and regulation at the top level of the game. i've no love for english football or the FA but the world game's governing body is a bad joke.

Thanks for clearing that up stevie.

Yes i would sign a petition if one was up and running and i am with you on no love for the national team but i do have a dislike for the ones i see are corrupt and ruining football.

[nev]

I must admit i laughed when i heard the decisions,fifa is so corrupt they put thaksin to shame,and blatter what can be said of this man,is it true he is on the board of real madrid?

Pull out of world cups and bring back the four nations miss the games against scotland wales and ireland.

I like that idea nev and you never know, we might even get to win a tournament.

Either way, we really should tell FIFA to do one and i reckon we'd get a fair bit of backing. We might well be shit but Englands participation means a great deal around the world.

We're ready to do battle......I reckon this could be a big winner.....used to enjoy it back in the '80's.......believe we outplayed you at Wembley last time as well..

.....the 'Golden Generation'.....

yep would love to see the home internationals back..............and we could include other nations that turn there backs on FIFA.

And as for england winning...no chance...wales have bale!

[mrbojangles]

From skysports:-

Bates urges Fifa breakaway

Leeds chairman wants elite association of countries

Ken Bates believes major European football nations should break away from Fifa following England's failed 2018 World Cup bid.

Russia were awarded the tournament after beating Spain/Portugal and Holland/Belgium as well as England.

England were praised for a strong technical bid and impressive presentation but still secured just two votes from the 22-man executive committee.

Bates was dismayed that England did not win and has also hit out at the decision to let Qatar host the 2022 World Cup.

The voting system has been criticised and Leeds chairman Bates thinks action needs to be taken against Fifa by forming a new governing body.

Bates told Yorkshire Radio: "I'm of the opinion that the big European nations should resign from Fifa and start their own organisation.

"If they (Fifa) didn't have Spain, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom there wouldn't be a Fifa. There wouldn't be a Uefa for that matter.

"The only way to deal with Fifa is to withdraw from it and let them get on with it.

"Fifa are a two-bob organisation above any law and should be treated with the contempt they deserve.

"It's a case of the tail wagging the dog. We have little Jack Warner standing in the corner, Oceania, the Caribbean, and the oil states. All that happens is they keep giving the votes to Blatter so he stays there in power.

"The fact of the matter is we (England) have the best stadiums and the best infrastructure. If you think of the disaster of the Champions League final in Moscow a couple of years ago when people were being billeted 100 miles away it's a joke.

"And as for Qatar - I always think someone is clearing their throat when they say that.

"How are they going to develop football? Australia, who have all the stadia and put a tremendous Olympics on, would have put on a great show."

"Fifa is a waste of space. It's a money making organisation and I don't think they give a dam_n about football."

Asked if each individual footballing nation should have a separate vote, rather than Fifa's executive committee, Bates added: "Should the Bahamas have the same vote as England? Should Andorra have the same as Germany? No, it's rubbish, we should form an elite association of countries."

[purplehaze]

I'd like to see the world cup being held in a Third World country that could use the tournament

to improve their facilities,develop better players and create much needed jobs.

Which is why I was backing England's bid.

Frankie Boyle

[lomatopo]

There is some talk about changing the 2022 World Cup to January or February to avoid scorching temperatures but not sure what this does to the various league schedules.

[Moonrakers]

England, Australia and USA which were considered perhaps the three strongest bids received only 6 points between them. Apparently only 3 members of the committee even asked to be England's technical bid, they didn't even bother looking at it.

I think that speaks volumes.

[MSingh]

There is some talk about changing the 2022 World Cup to January or February to avoid scorching temperatures but not sure what this does to the various league schedules.

Another thing that just sums the whole thing up...

[Moonrakers]

Surely, at some point, somebody would have said........

'But ain't it a bit hot there, and there's no bleedin' grass'

[StevieH]

zinedine zidane is the real world cup winner: http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/dirty-tackle/post/The-real-winner-of-the-2022-World-Cup-decision-?urn=sow-291361

[lomatopo]

Surely, at some point, somebody would have said........

'But ain't it a bit hot there, and there's no bleedin' grass'

Its one thing to build eight stadiums, even enclosed with air con and fully-retractable grass surface ( a la Univ. of Phoenix Stadium ), but what about practice fields? I'm sorry but England and the U.S got hosed, the former only invented and codified the game as the world knows it, and the later has everything in place NOW to host the World Cup again. I'd love to see a protest/boycott. What is it with these head honchos/ el supremos (Olympics, F1, FIFA) and their royal-like reigns? They should have term limits.

[StevieH]

more on the fifa shenanigans from the observer:

Said & Done

World Cup vote special: Sepp's best bits, the ExCo highlights, plus the Mail on why England really lost

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/dec/05/fifa

2018 - The timeline

How Sepp's big decision was made easier: <br style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; ">1) Leaked US cable describes Russia as "a rampantly corrupt, autocratic kleptocracy" run by a leader who has "amassed a massive secret fortune" by running a "mafia state" based on "personal enrichment, protection for gangsters, extortion and kickbacks, suitcases full of money, a parallel tax system and bribery estimated at $300bn a year". <br style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; ">2) Sepp: "Congratulations to Russia! Clearly, I am a satisfied man."

The highlights

Highlights from the last three months as Sepp set about shaping his legacy ("I'm working to make football a school of life, bringing hope, bringing emotions!"):

• Best individual performance: Executive Committee member Amos Adamu – caught in the bribery sting four months after telling colleagues facing separate fraud charges how they should behave. "The public sees every football administrator as corrupt, and I cannot explain why it is so. We must always be transparent to prove them wrong!"

• Runner-up: Former ExCo member Ismael Bhamjee – caught in the same sting, four years after his first one: exposed in 2006 for touting World Cup tickets at three times face value to supplement his £270 dailyFifa expenses. "I got myself in a mess," Bhamjee said at the time. "This was out of character."

• Best award: Former ExCo member Viacheslav Koloskov – travelling to Asunción in October to lobby current ExCo member Nicolás Léoz for Russia's bid. Léoz (accused by Panorama of taking £450k in bribes) honoured Koloskov (who received an unauthorised £65k payment from Sepp in 2002) with an award for "services to football and its principles".

• Best analysis: also from Koloskov – greeting the publication of the bids' expensive technical reports in November: "I know from my own experience that ExCo members work with little information. The inspection reports are enormous, so no one reads them."

• Best timing: October – Russia's sports minister Vitaly Mutko attacks the British press for "obsessive" analysis of Russia's racism record. Also that month: Russian football agent Vladimir Abramov gives an interview to Sport.ru about how Nigerians ruin Russian cities with "their drugs, and ultimately, their Aids". Abramov: "Teams shouldn't have more than one dark-skinned footballer. When there's more than one they are aggressive"; plus: "I am very respectful towards blacks, but Russia isn't ready for them." FIfa's view: "Racism will not be taken into account in the bidding process … It is not an operation matter".

• Best outrage: Mutko again, on why attention from the English press left him exasperated. "No matter what we say we are portrayed by them as a hotbed of corruption. It is not true." Later that week: Russian authorities launch a criminal investigation into alleged fraud at Mutko's ministry, including Mutko's own expenses claim for 97 breakfasts eaten during a 20-day trip to Vancouver.

• Best defenders: Fifa ExCo members on the "slanders" against Sepp's process:

1) Jérôme Valcke (sacked in 2006 for "lying repeatedly" to potential sponsors and reappointed by Sepp in 2007): "We have done everything we can to make sure this process is fair and transparent." <br style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; ">2) Chuck Blazer (called a liar "without credibility" by a US judge in 2006): "You can't say the system is bad just because one newspaper created a scam, a trap." <br style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; ">3) Jack Warner (totally clean): "We preach equity… we live by our principle of fair play!" <br style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; ">4) Plus: Angel María Villar Llona – making an epic address to colleagues in Zurich: "I love Fifa dearly but those I love the most are my colleagues in the ExCo. Recently we have been criticised by certain media, but unfortunately for them, Fifa is a clean institution. We have heard enough slander. This process is clean – whatever they say!"

• Proudest media campaign: The Sun, writing an open letter to Sepp on the eve of voting, attacking Panorama's "sabotage" of England's bid. "Today The Sun makes this plea to Mr Blatter and Fifa: don't be put off by the BBC's rehashing of ancient history. Despite BBC muckraking, The Sun trusts Fifa to put football first." (3 Dec, The Sun: "FIXED! FIFA BUNGS RUSSIA THE WORLD CUP … Calls for corruption probe …")

• Plus: the best single assessment of why England lost – seven weeks before the vote: former ExCo member Ahongalu Fusimalohi, also caught in the Sunday Times sting, warning that England must offer bribes. "England don't strike deals. It's sad but it's true." Fusimalohi explained: "It is corrupt – but only if you get caught."

Clean break: moving on

Next for Sepp after a tough few months: a chance for some clean PR in the build-up to Brazil 2014. Overseeing the tournament: Fifa ExCo member Ricardo Teixeria – due in court this week in Rio over alleged money laundering, tax evasion and "other economic crimes". Teixeria, who denies wrongdoing, was due in court last week, but secured a postponement so he could vote in Zurich.

And finally: why England really lost

The Daily Mail on why England's bid failed: "Was it the video that cost us?" The Mail says the film shown during England's bid presentation in Zurich was "un-English", too "multi-cultural" and relied on "a range of ethnically diverse figures". <br style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; ">(Online comments on the story from Mail readers: • "It makes me sick when we have this 'multicultural' rubbish rubbed in our faces" • "This country is dying" • "You couldn't make it up, we Brits have to put up with this nonsense every day" • "Fools! Multi cultural idiots!!!" • "Well done Daily Mail for having the courage to speak up" • plus: "If only Diana were here to see what this nation has become.")